Reflection
by windwhisprer
Summary: [AU][39 58] Slip through the mirror and witness a world unlike you've ever seen. A short bus ride and a fee you'll never know is the price to pay. In a world with two suns on the brink of war, Gojyo and Goku learn what it means to come home.
1. Prologue: Your Destination

**A/N:** Helllo everyone! Welcome to my AU. I was supposed to wait a while before posting the prologue, but I couldn't help myself. I'm going to be overworked with all the stuff I'll have to update, but I'll deal. This story begins in modern times, wherever you want to see it, before it slips into my weird little world of my own making. This is SanzoGoku and GojyoHakkai. Yes, I will work on both parrings, though there will be more SanzoGoku then there will be GojyoHakkai. Mostly because I know how to write it better. And I apologize to any 58 fans if I write the parring wrong. This is my first attempt at really writing it, and developing a relationship between them.

Anyway, enough of my babiling. I hope you enjoy the Prologue! This is up in celebration of my birthday tomorrow. Happy birthday to me!

**Reflection **

**Prologue: Your Destination **

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" demanded a powerful voice. Only a second later a bottle was hurled towards him. Goku nearly dodged, not even bothering to pull his left shoe on. Instead, he grabbed it, quickly exiting the large house, slamming the door shut behind him and hurrying out into the barren streets.

After he was a fair ways down the street did he bother to wipe the blood from his nose, grimacing when his nosebleed continued. Damn, this was a bad one. Turning back towards the house, he half expected to see his uncle come charging out after him. After several moments of waiting, and nothing appeared, Goku shoved his foot in his shoe, before turning to head down the road, allowing himself to breathe a shaky sigh of relief.

Why did he put up with this? Day in and day out it was the same. He had to deal with his abusive uncle as he beat and threw things at him. Every day was the same and the bruises never seemed to fade. He'd been forced to live with his uncle shortly after his thirteenth birthday. His parents had both died in a car accident, and his uncle was the closest relative who would take him in. The man seemed happy to take guardianship for the boy, though it was only a farce. His uncle took him in for the sake of having something to beat when his raging temper got the better of him, which seemed to happen a lot.

Goku was in high school, though he could've possible passed for a junior high student. He was very small for his age. After finally turning sixteen he looked no more then twelve with his small size. Sometimes it was a good thing and sometimes it was a bad thing.

The only thing that seemed could take his mind away from the troubles of life was his best friend Gojyo. The man was a year older then him, and loved to tease and torment him. But they were the best of friends, brothers even. The redhead always seemed to know what was wrong, and how to fix it. Goku sighed, running a hand through his hair. But his best—and only—friend was moving halfway across the country. His father had gotten a transfer and in two months his friend would be thousands of miles away.

It seemed his life was slowly falling apart.

Goku's footsteps echoed off the empty air. The entire area seemed to have been swallowed by the darkness of the night. There was not a sound to breach it, and Goku felt as though his heartbeat suddenly rang out loudly through the barren streets. It was as if any person passing by would be able to hear its regular rhythm. But there was no one passing by. It couldn't have been past midnight, and normally the streets were buzzing with people. Drunken adults in cabs, teenagers heading to parties or people just trying to get home. It was unnatural to see this stretch of road so empty.

Goku's knee suddenly rammed into something, and he cursed, backing off and clutching the injured joint. He hadn't realized he'd been walking so long. Letting a string of curses loose, Goku realized he'd ran into a bench. A bus stop bench. He knew the busses stopped running at eleven, so getting any sort of ride away was utterly pointless. Defeated, Goku slumped down on the bench, hugging his arms to his chest as a cold wind swept over him. He'd forgotten his jacket as well. Great. It was going to be a cold night.

He knew that eventually he'd have to go home to his uncle, though he didn't want to. He'd probably smell like alcohol again, spiced with the taste of cigarettes. Goku still had the scars from where his uncle had found joy in burning him with his finished cigarettes. Closing his eyes, Goku tried to block the man out, only to have the image of him come back full force.

_I wish I didn't have to go home, _he thought. _I wish I could get away. I wish I had a place that was all my own…_

A strange wind blew over him, and Goku had to brush his bangs from his eyes, while attempting to hug his arms closer to his chest. It was beginning to get colder out and Goku's teeth began to chatter lightly. The sudden chill was forcing him back towards his uncle's place earlier then he'd initially wanted. With a sigh, the young brunette pulled himself to his feet, but not before the sounds of a bus caught his ears and said vehicle pulled up in front of him.

Goku could only stare at it critically. It looked like a normal city bus, but the paint had long since faded and chipped, and rust was creeping up from every side of it. Mold crept along the edges and dirt clocked the vehicle so heavily it was almost impossible to distinguish which kind of bus it was. But Goku recognized the design. The old doors creaked open, revealing a dark haired man that looked somewhere in his thirties. The Bus driver smiled, nodding towards him. "You getting on?" the man asked.

Unsure, Goku leaned towards the bus, trying to spot the route number. Scrawled across the front in faded letters, an "Out of Order" flashed dully, threatening to go out at any moment. "Uh," Goku said awkwardly, turning back to the man before him. "It says out of order."

The Bus Driver frowned softly. "Is that so…?" he mused, before flicking different buttons. "There we go."

Leaning back towards the front of the bus, Goku blinked. In place of the fading, 'Out of Order' a bright florescent 'Your Destination' had replaced it. Goku could only raise a brow in speculation. Your Destination? If that didn't spell horror movie he wasn't sure what did. Shrugging, Goku decided he needed to get away from his uncle and stepped onto the bus. Once on, he openly gaped. The bus was so clean on the inside you could practically eat off of it. There were only two other people on the bus, a young girl looking to be a few years younger then himself, and an old man who seemed to be entering his fifties. As if suddenly remembering the fee, Goku shoved his hand into his pocket, only to find he had no money. "I don't have any change," Goku explained. "Sorry."

The man smiled brightly. "Don't worry about it. Your fee has already been paid."

Confused, Goku stepped back into the bus, taking a seat relatively near the front. He glanced back at the girl behind him, and watched as she blushed, turning away to avoid eye contact. The man paid him no mind, simply staring out the window and waiting for his stop. A small red light lit up near the front of the bus, and the driver cursed softly. "Hannah? Sweetie?" the young girl in the back looked up once mentioned. "I'm afraid I've got to pick up one more stop, and then we'll drop the boys off. Your stop is next, I promise."

The young girl smiled brightly. "Okay. It's fine."

Confused, Goku looked between the girl and the driver as the bus suddenly lurched forwards, heading down the street rapidly. They drove for a good fifteen minutes, all the while Goku had his attention drawn out the dusty window, taking in all the familiar twists and turns. He didn't much care where the bus went, as long as he could get away from that horrible house he called home for a little while. Goku let his eyes slide closed in peace, and was surprised as the bus gave a sudden stop. Opening his eyes, he looked towards the driver who was intent on staring at the bus' newest passenger. "Well?" the driver said. "Are you getting on?"

Soft footprints followed and a flash of red caught Goku's attention. A second later Gojyo stepped into view, and Goku jumped from his seat. "Gojyo!" he cried.

After a quick confirmation that no fee was needed, Gojyo turned towards him, grinning. "Pipsqueak? What are you doing here?"

Goku frowned at the nickname, but none the less let it slide for today. "What am I doing? What are you doing here?"

Gojyo placed his hands in his pockets, shifting his weight. "I got in another fight with the folks. My dad still thinks moving is a good idea, and I've been pretty unsuccessful on proving him otherwise." The redhead's expression softened slightly. "Hey, you get in another fight with him?'

Goku's hands flew to his bloody nose, which had stopped bleeding some time ago. The dried blood caked most of his upper lip. He'd forgotten about it. "Uh… yeah. It's no big deal."

The Bus Driver then cleared his throat, turning to face them. "Excuse me boys, I hate to break up the reunion, but you'll need to sit down. If I start it and your standing, you could get killed." At this, Goku raised a skeptical brow. He'd stood on busses many times before, what made this one so different? "And the last thing I need is to get fired."

Casting each other a confused look, the pair slid into the nearest seat, watching as the bus driver closed the doors, before flicking a button. A panel above the windshield lit up, and the words 'Searching…' appeared in bright red letters. Finally, it beeped, and the word 'Mirror' appeared. Hannah gasped behind them. "The mirror!?" she cried out, horrified. "Karl, you can't take these boys to the mirror on their first trip. They don't even know how the bussing system works!"

Goku and Gojyo shot each other another confused look. Karl sighed, turning in his chair to face her. "Sorry Hannah, but I don't pick the destinations, the customers do," his gaze then fell on the two boys seated near the front, and he shook his head in a sympathetic way. "You boys must've done something bad in a past life to get stuck with the mirror."

Without listening to any further questions, Karl flipped around in his seat, switching switches and pressing button. It sounded as though a jet engine was starting up, before he pulled another switch and everything went silent. "Hold on boys, the mirror's a bit tricky to get to."

With a burst of speed, Goku and Gojyo were shot back into their seats. Managing to pull himself forwards, Goku tried to figure out what was happening. They were going far too fast. They were definitely going to crash into something! But as he turned his gaze out the nearby window, all he saw were colors swarming by him and images blurring. Goku jumped when a bug like creature attempted to crash into the window. It was easily three feet high and Goku could see into the hundreds of eyes perched atop his head. It made him sick. "Damn insects," Karl swore. "They just won't leave my bus alone."

He slammed his foot down on the gas and the bus shot forwards. Goku was thrown back into his seat, and closed his eyes, wondering if this was really real or some creation of his diluted mind. Goku opened his eyes in time to watch Karl drive straight towards a bright light, which engulfed them all.

They had just slipped down the rabbit hole. And they were headed for Wonderland.


	2. Chapter One: Order Leads Chaos

**Reflection**

**Chapter One: Order leads Chaos**

The sudden stop was the only real thing that snapped him out of his daze. He hadn't realized how far they'd traveled. It felt like hours when it could've only been a few minutes. Goku didn't even know anymore. He groaned as a headache began to sit in, pounding mercilessly on the back of his skull. Maybe this was all a dream and he would wake up in his bed, with nothing more then a few bruises from the previous night's scuffle with his uncle. Maybe it was all a dream, and as Goku opened his eyes and found himself still seated in the strange bus, he couldn't help but wonder if he was still dreaming.

Goku turned to Gojyo, finding the man resting his head on the seat in front of him. The redhead was groaning softly, and Goku imagined he had the same headache he did. "Gojyo? Gojyo, you okay?" Goku asked softly, shaking his friend.

Gojyo groaned again, swatting his hand away. "Fuck… feels like… something's beating on my skull with a sledgehammer." Slowly, the youth opened his eyes, glancing outside the window. All they could see was thick foliage. It looked like a rainforest, with branches and vines so thick it was impossible to get anywhere. Goku wanted more then anything to get off the bus—as it creeped him out more then anything—but he was unsure of what he would be stepping into.

Karl turned to them, smiling brightly. "Well boys, this is your stop."

"Our stop?" Goku cried, getting to his feet. Surely this man was kidding? "You're joking?! Take us home!"

Karl shook his head. "I can't. Your fee's expired. When you pay me again, I'll be back to pick you up."

Gojyo glared at the man and his riddles. "But we didn't give you any money."

Karl chuckled, as though what Gojyo said was in fact very funny. "I never said the fee was money." The door then opened, and Karl turned to look at them with a slightly serious look. "Now c'mon boys. I don't have all day. You're making me late."

Goku and Gojyo glanced at each other once more before slowly standing. They made their way cautiously down the isle, before stepping off the bus. Goku was hit instantly with a wave of humid air, and repulsed at the feel of it. The ground beneath his feet felt unnaturally soft, Goku assumed it was all the moss and grass that grew almost like a carpet to cover the forest's floor. Gojyo, however, was awestruck by the giant trees that grew all around them. They were each hundreds of feet high, with branches that reached up into the heavens. The width of each tree was easily bigger then any house he'd ever seen.

As the boys took in their surroundings, Karl chuckled softly. "Now you boys be careful," Goku and Gojyo turned to face the man, as he gave them a parting wave. "The trees like to bite." Then he shut the door. Goku reasoned he must've blinked, because a second later the bus was gone, and already the moss was growing over the indents where the tires had been. Goku could only let out a startled gasp; bending down next to the indents and watching the moss grow rapidly. In a few seconds, there was no evidence a bus had ever been there.

Slowly, uneasily, Goku stood, and turned to face his friend. Gojyo's eyes seemed wide and he too seemed at a loss for words. They both stood for another second, awed by their surroundings and what led them there. Finally, Gojyo managed to muster up the will to speak. "Pinch me."

Goku blinked, before doing what he asked.

"Ow, what the hell Goku!?"

"You told me to pinch you!"

"It's a figure of speech, moron."

Goku chuckled softly, falling back onto the soft mossy ground, while turning to look up at the bright sky in front of him. Things could be worse. So far things looked pretty peaceful. Almost peaceful enough to take a nap. He heard Gojyo fall down onto the grass next to him, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. Goku knew the older man always had cigarettes on him, no matter where he was. Goku let his eyes close, feeling the sun's warmth on his face. He could hear some faraway birds and along with it, different kinds of insects. Opening his eyes, he looked back up towards the sky. "It nice here, eh Gojyo?"

"Yeah, you could say that."

Goku smiled, before frowning. Shielding his eyes from the harsh rays, he tried to find out if what he was actually seeing was real. After confirming that he was not hallucinating, Goku tried to put it into words. "Uh… Gojyo?"

"What is it, pipsqueak?" Gojyo asked, taking a deep drag from his cigarette.

"Uh… This place has two suns."

Gojyo could only stare at Goku, before turning his attention towards the sky. Sure enough, one gigantic sun sat in the middle of the sky, signifying high noon, while a smaller, more orange colored sun sat just past that, on the eastern horizon. Gojyo could only stare for a moment, before looking back over at Goku. The two boys sat in silence for a moment, before they burst out laughing. It took them several minutes before they managed to calm down. After taking deep breaths, Gojyo pulled himself to his feet, dusting stray pieces of moss from his pants. "Well then, Goku, shall we look for some human life?"

Goku jumped to his feet, a grin lighting his features. "Why not?"

Though it was easier said then done. The two began to head through the thick foliage, attempting to find any sort of life. Unfortunately, no matter how they pushed and yanked and cut, they could not make their way through the mass of branches, vines and plant life. Before they knew it they had to pull back into the small clearing they started in. Gojyo growled, his patience growing thin with the damned trees. "What the hell is with these things?" he snapped, throwing his hands up. "It's like trying to break through a brick wall." Smirking devilishly, Gojyo produced his lighter. "Let's burn it down, Goku."

Goku opened his mouth to voice his protests, but before he could speak there was a loud creaking. Blinking, Goku looked up in time to watch one of the tree's branches suddenly swing towards them, knocking them both to the ground. They fell to the forest floor with an ungraceful thud, as the lighter flew from Gojyo's hands. Goku pulled himself up, rubbing his head and opening his eyes in time to watch a tree root slither out, grasping Gojyo's lighter and pulling it deep under the ground. Goku could only stare in a combination of bewilderment and fear. Gojyo, however, became angry that he lost his lighter. "Damn tree!" he cried, racing towards it. "That was my last lighter!"

Groaning, he slumped to the ground in defeat, looking over towards Goku, who sat chuckling. "What do we do now?"

Goku couldn't help but smile. "Well, maybe we should stop fighting against the trees, and try and find a way around them. They don't seem to like the idea of being burnt down much."

Gojyo chuckled, running a hand through his hair. "You're enjoying this way too much, Goku."

"Yeah, I am," Goku managed out.

Silence managed to settle between the two, as they settled back down into the soft moss. It seemed as though they'd found a moment of peace, when it was abruptly disrupted. "Hey!" screeched a voice. The two boys opened their eyes at the feminine sounding voice, turning towards a young woman seated on one of the tree's higher branches. "You guys're in my favorite spot! Lirin's mad now!"

Goku and Gojyo didn't even have enough time to shoot each other a confused look before the young woman jumped from the branch. It was easily twelve stories from the ground, and Goku tried to call out to her. As she headed rapidly towards the ground, Goku turned away, expecting a bone crunching thud and the splatter of blood. It never came. Opening his eyes, he turned and watched the young woman land on all fours, with nothing but the sound of bells announcing her arrival. She was probably about Goku's age, possibly a bit older, wearing tattered jeans which one leg had been torn off, with a sleeveless top which accented her large breasts. She had short, wild red hair with glimmering green eyes which narrowed out like a mischievous cat's.

Goku could only stare at the young woman, wondering how in God's name she survived the fall from at least twelve stories. Finally managing to open his mouth to phrase a question, he could only fumble out something incomprehensible, before her eyes settled on him. It was sudden, the way her eyes widened and absolute terror crossed her features. Holding her hands up in front of her, she shook with fear. "Oh… Goddess… It's… it's you!" she screeched, before stumbling backwards. Tripping over a loose root, she fell to the ground, still staring at him, petrified.

Goku could only raise a confused brow. Why was she so afraid of him? Getting to his feet, he held a hand out to help her up. "I won't hurt you," he managed to squeeze in, before she screamed.

"Don't hurt me! Goddess, I don't want to die! Somebody save me!" she screamed again, before backing up until she met a tree. Flipping around, she managed to get to her feet, before pounding her fists on the bark. "Akimono! Akimono, please save me!"

The tree groaned again, and before Goku could blink, a large branch smacked him to the chest. It wasn't hard, but it knocked the wind out of him as he was thrown back against the mossy ground. He heard Gojyo call out his name in alarm, rushing to his side. After managing to choke in air, he sat up, watching as the questionable girl disappeared beyond the foliage, before almost immediately, the branches closed up, locking them inside once more.

It was silent before another moment, before Gojyo managed to chuckle softly. "Wow, Goku. I never thought you were that ugly."

Coughing, Goku got to his feet. "Shut up Gojyo," he muttered bitterly, before turning to search for a new way out.

---

The Order was in an uproar. Then again, looking at what had previously taken place, could anyone really blame them? Grinding his teeth around his cigarette, he continued walking down the long, crowded hallways. It was only recently that one of the large storage areas had been ransacked; most of the supplies had either been stolen or destroyed if not needed. It caused panic to ripple through Capital City. Everyone was terrified, and they blamed the Order for not dealing with the Rebellion sooner. He ground his teeth in annoyance as he dodged a woman with a stack of books. The people could bitch all they wanted, but it wouldn't do any good. There had been searches non-stop for the Rebels, but nothing had turned up. They may not have had very decent numbers, but they damn well knew how to hide.

Genjyo Sanzo headed down the hallways, turning and twisting within the main building until he came to an empty corridor. It didn't surprise him. Very few people were permitted down in this section of the building. It was where the people in charge of the Order resided. They didn't much like noise.

After twisting and turning down several more hallways, Sanzo stopped at a dead end. Grinding his teeth, he tried not to lash out. He hated this building. It had a life of its own, and often closed off hallways or moved staircases or even rooms if it found it enjoyable. The building often liked to pull such pranks on Sanzo, for it knew how much he hated it. "Oliver!" Sanzo yelled out, the sound of his rough tone echoing through the desolate hallway. "Open up this wall right now!"

"And what if I don't want to?" cooed a familiar voice from a nearby painting. Sanzo's eyes snapped towards it. It was of an elderly man, one of the Oder's founders. Oliver—the building, as it liked to be referred to—often possessed pictures and paintings so it could speak to whoever it was he was pulling a prank on. The man within the painting moved, placing his elbows on the table and smiling wickedly at him.

Growing impatient with the building, Sanzo reached into his uniform, pulling out his revolver and pointing it directly at the painting. "Well then, I'll have to start shooting until this wall opens up, won't I?"

The painting fell back into its original position, not without Oliver muttering a soft, "Bastard," beforehand. The walls then gave a rumble, before it opened up, revealing a hallway that had gone dark. But as Sanzo began to head down it, Oliver lit the torches that sat dotted along the sides. Sanzo headed quickly down the hallway, before stopping at a door, and opening it. He didn't even bother to knock, he knew it didn't matter.

Seated behind the desk was Kanzeon Bosatsu. The woman was as annoying as she was mischievous. With long, dark hair and glinting eyes hidden behind thick lashes. Though her usual devilish smile was long since forgotten, and a look of pure seriousness lined her features. Sanzo's eyes strayed to the other figure in the room. Kougaiji. He stood perfectly straight, his slanting indigo eyes never leaving Sanzo's form as he pulled himself into the room. His long red hair hung down his back while his demonic features set himself out in the room with two other humans. He was a spy they had hired to keep a watch out for the rebellion, though he was proving to be more hassle then he was worth, in Sanzo's opinion. The bastard refused to give away the location of the Rebellion, and he hadn't even bothered to warn them about the attack on Capital City's supplies.

His eyes settled on Kanzeon as he crossed her legs confidently. The Hermaphrodite smiled at him, as though enjoying the tension between her nephew and Kougaiji. Sadist. Sometimes, Sanzo felt like the most normal person he knew. "Well Sanzo, Kougaiji has finally decided to report back to us, and since you're in charge of the department, I figured you'd like to hear."

Sanzo's eyes trailed dangerously over to the redhead, his lips set in a firm line though inside his mind was raging. If that damned bastard had reported in a week earlier, then he'd have a shitload less paperwork to do. "So, now the rat decides to show his ugly face."

Kougaiji glared. "Shut up. I did the best I could. I tried to warn you, but they wouldn't let me go."

Sanzo smiled bitterly. "And thanks to your wondrous efforts, one third of Capital City is going to die during the Eclipse." Sanzo crossed his arms, glaring the man down. "If you just told us where the Rebellion is hiding, we could go down there and arrest them and none of this would have happened."

"Hey!" Kougaiji snapped, loud enough that the sound ricochet off the walls of the small office. "I have a wife and newborn daughter out there, and I'll be damned if I let you arrest them!" he yelled, before settling back and crossing his arms. "I'm doing this to help both sides, not let you trump over my new family."

Sanzo glared, but did not go on. After a moment's silence, he finally spoke, "Well then, what news did you bring us?"

Kougaiji sent one last glare over towards the Hunter, before he sighed. "The Rebels are planning another attack in four days. They're going to strike the second station, on the east side of Capital City."

"So soon?" Kanzeon interjected.

"Idiots," Sanzo added.

Kougaiji nodded. "They're going to attack after the First Sun has set, when there's less light. They said that it would be a surprise attack, and they assume you wouldn't be expecting them so soon."

Sanzo nodded, absorbing all the information. "All right then. We'll need to reinforce our security, and block off all possibilities of a surprise attack."

"And Sanzo?"

Said blonde looked up, a soft frown lighting his features. "What?"

Kougaiji looked uncertain, as if he didn't have the right to request a favor. "Don't kill anyone," he said finally.

Sanzo's features softened from a look of annoyance to plain indifference. He gave a short nod. "We never have before, Kougaiji. We're not about to start now."

Just as it seemed a moment of pure understanding had settled between the two, the door was suddenly thrown open, and Kougaiji's younger sister burst in. With unnatural speed, she threw herself into her older brother's chest, sobbing hysterically. "Kougaiji! Kougaiji!" she sobbed. "I saw it! Lirin was so scared! So very scared!"

Sanzo frowned; clearly dismayed that Kougaiji's younger sister saw the need to rush in, not caring for the seriousness of the meeting. Kougaiji met his eyes, giving him an apologetic glance before turning down to the bundle in his arms. "Lirin, clam down. Where are your manners?"

"But Kougaiji, I saw it!" she cried again.

Sanzo resisted the temptation to roll his eyes. "Saw what?" Kougaiji asked patiently. Much more patience then Sanzo ever thought he'd be able to have in that sort of situation.

"Seiten Taisei."

As soon as the words left her mouth, the entire air in the room tensed. Sanzo shut the door, trying to stop anyone from overhearing while Kanzeon stood a look of outrage and a glimmer of fear in her eyes. "Are you sure that's what you saw?" Kougaiji pressed, sliding his younger sister into a nearby chair and studying her closely.

The young girl nodded, hiccupping. "Akimono saved me."

Kanzeon's sharp eyes flew to Sanzo, her glare making something in his chest twist. "I thought you had Seiten Taisei in your care, Sanzo," she snapped. "Where is he now?"

Sanzo glared back with equal intensity. "He's still back at my house. I have him under severe lockdown, he didn't get out." His eyes then turned back to the young girl in the chair, frowning deeply at inward thoughts. Was it possible the demon managed to slip past his notice? He doubted it. "The trees were probably playing tricks on her again."

"I know what I saw!" Lirin snapped, her eyes holding defiance as she glared up at Sanzo. "Akimono wouldn't play tricks on me! Not scary ones like that!"

Sanzo glared back at her, but could tell she was not wavering in her story. Finally having enough, Sanzo snorted and headed towards the door. "Wait Sanzo!" Kanzeon cried. He turned back to her, frowning deeply. "I want you to look into this. Find out what Lirin saw."

Sanzo's eyes narrowed. He didn't have time to play with the damned trees again. "I have paperwork."

"You're a Hunter, finding and taking care of miscreants and rebels is your first priority." She answered, before a smile tugged on your lips. "Besides, this became your number one priority the day you decided to take Seiten Taisei into your care two years ago."

"And what a mistake that was," Sanzo snapped.

"Sanzo…" Kanzeon warned.

Sanzo waved his hand in dismissal. "I'll look into it, okay?" he snapped, before sighing. "For Fuck's sake the Sun Goddess must hate me," he muttered bitterly, before turning and leaving the room, shutting the door behind him.

---

Sanzo was grateful when he finally got home that evening. The First Sun was slowly setting, leaving nothing but the dull glow of the Second Sun to light his way. Sanzo had never seen true darkness. Whether it was night or day, there was always at least one sun in the sky. Perhaps that was what made the Eclipse so terrifying. For an entire year both suns would disappear from the sky and the entire world was shrouded in true, suffocating darkness. Crops died, oceans receded, and earthquakes shook the land. It only happened once every fifty years, though the effects of what took place during that year could be forever damaging.

He pulled himself into the small house he called home, dumping his jacket and bag on the floor withy a dull thud. The house seemed eerily quiet. Perhaps Seiten Taisei did escape. Kicking his shoes off, he headed up the stairs, towards the last room at the end of the hall.

The door had a giant lock on it, and was covered with seals. Nothing got in or out without his permission. It had taken him three months to finally find a method to keep the damned trouble maker confined. Once he had been confined the Order had decided he should not be moved. For if even one thing went wrong, and he was released again, the Order doubted they'd be able to stop him. Sanzo agreed. He still had the scars from the last time Seiten Taisei escaped.

He unlocked the door, opening it and stepping in. His guard up, he prepared for any sort of attack. He managed to get in and close the door before any escape attempts were made.

The room wasn't overly small, but it wasn't the biggest in the house. There was a bed set up in the corner, a bookshelf Sanzo had stalked with books, and a desk he'd set up in the corner. Each book Sanzo had bothered to give the demon had been shredded; the remains of each book had been thrown along the ground like the bedding for the nest of something truly terrifying. Sanzo didn't care about the books; he doubted the demon would read them anyway. The walls of the room were covered in seals exactly like the ones outside the door. He guessed the powerful seals were the only reason the demon hadn't ripped up the walls as he did to everything else in the room. The bookshelf, after being emptied of everything, had been put on its side, and placed on one side of the bed, as though the demon intended to build a wall. The desk too, had been dragged over to the end of the bed; the other two sides were protected by the walls of the room. Sanzo often thought that despite the demon's powerful and bloodthirsty nature, he still liked to fall asleep knowing it still had protection around it.

Sanzo had still not spotted the demon, and decided he was probably sleeping. Cautiously, he headed towards the protected bed, peering over the bookshelf to try and get a good look at the demon before him. The blankets had been clawed and ripped in places, but somehow they managed to stay together. Same went for the bed Sanzo had given him. He was surprised to find Seiten Taisei lying, curled up in the bed, right where he'd left him. Seiten Taisei's golden eyes were open, and looked hazily up at him, a small, knowing smile lighting the demon's lips. Frowning, Sanzo wondered what was wrong with him. Normally every time Sanzo entered the room, the demon was all over him. Whether it was in wonder at what he'd brought for dinner, or another cleverly planned escape root. This was the calmest he'd ever seen the demon.

Concerned, Sanzo reached out, gently laying three fingers over the demon's forehead. Seiten Taisei just let out a low purr, which was unlike him. There was no swat of the claws at the unnatural contact, which surprised him. Sanzo frowned at the heat radiating from the demon's body. It felt like a fever. Great, now he had to take care of a feverish, psychotic, bloodthirsty demon. How bad could today get? "Fuck," Sanzo cursed, pulling back his hand. Seiten Taisei opened his eyes lazily, looking up at his keeper with an all-knowing look. "You troublesome brat."

"Seckoi un'molite Gn'hiat so," the demon mumbled in a croaked whisper.

Sanzo stared at the young demon as it purred softly, frowning at its natural dialect. "You know I can't understand a word you say."

Seiten Taisei just smiled.

* * *

**A/N:** I have the perfect image of ST in this chapter, and I just want to glomp him. He's so adorable. Anyway, please review, and I'll love you forever. Tata! 


	3. Chapter Two: Green Eyes

**Reflection**

**Chapter Two: Green Eyes**

"I'm hungry. Wet. Cold. And I want to go home."

Goku glared at Gojyo through eyes laced with irritation, hugging his arms closer to himself. They'd stumbled through the forest without any sign of civilization or that strange girl that had run off. They were lost in a maze of overgrown trees. Without any place to go, the pair had to camp outside the previous night. Only, it had rained over night. Now they were both wet, cold, covered in mud and stumbling through the damned forest without any sign of people anywhere. They were going to die. He knew it.

"Stop whining to me, you idiot. It's not like I can do anything about it."

Scowling, Goku turned his glare to a nearby flower, knowing that Gojyo was right. Goku could only stop and stare as the flower curled into itself, shaking at his harsh glare. He felt a pang of guilt, and suddenly felt like apologizing to the poor flower. At this thought, Goku shook his head. Apologize to a flower? Now he'd seriously lost his mind. He watched the flower open its petals, as if to peek up at him. Goku shot the flower a smile, and it opened up completely. Goku swore he heard it giggle.

He shouldn't be surprised. In less then a day he'd seen more things then he ever wanted to. The entire place was one messed up world. He felt like he'd landed in Alice and Wonderland. Goku wouldn't be surprised. Weirder things happened in the short time Goku had spent in the strange world. He just prayed whatever price he had to pay was paid quickly, so he could hurry up and go home.

"Hey Gojyo, what do you think Karl—" Goku cut himself off when he spotted his redheaded friend. The teenager was trying to pull his leg from a swampy-like ground. He was slowly sinking. It looked like nothing but moss, but at the speed it sucked him in it acted like quicksand. "Gojyo!"

"Stop staring and help me!" Gojyo cried, struggling but only sinking faster.

Looking around, Goku pulled a dying branch from a nearby tree. He heard the tree groan out in agony and Goku apologized quickly before heading towards Gojyo. Holding it out, he watched as the man grasped it. If possible, that only made him sink faster. He was up to his waist now and disappearing quickly. Panicked, Goku pulled as hard as he could on the branch, praying to whatever god there was he could save his friend. "Gojyo! Hold on!"

"What the hell do you think I'm doing?" Gojyo snapped. He was up to his armpits now. "Pull harder!"

"That's not going to work," cooed a voice from behind them. Goku didn't even bother to look over his shoulder to find out who it was. He had more important things to deal with.

But before he knew it, Gojyo was sucked into the ground, disappearing all together. Goku fell to the ground, scouring for any sign of his friend. He beat on the ground, calling out his name in the hopes that it would spit him back up. But the ground had gone hard again, and he couldn't even follow after his friend. "Gojyo, you bastard!" he cried, ripping up at the moss with his fingers. "How dare you leave me alone in this fucked up place!" Suddenly, fear began to settle in. He was alone, with no where to go and surrounded by things he could only imagine.

"Calm down will you?" snapped the same voice from before. It sounded closer, right behind him. "You're friend's fine."

Goku took a shaky sigh, and turned to face whoever had decided to poke fun at him now. Standing behind him was a tall, dark haired man. His eyes, Goku found, were mismatched. One, a bright gold, and the other a deep jewel-like blue. He wore long, indigo robes that looked incredibly difficult to move around in. Yet the man moved around them as if they were nothing. As soon as the dark-haired man got a good look at him, his confident smile was zapped from his face, and his eyes widened. "Shit! It's Seiten Taisei!" he cried, before jumping back into the nearest tree.

"No wait!" Goku cried. "I'm not a Seiten Taisei! Please! I'm lost! And…." Goku sighed when he realized the man had disappeared back into the trees. Hanging his head, he muttered, "And my name's Goku…"

Without explanation, Goku found his arms rising above his head, before he was lifting off the ground. "Hey! What--!" As Goku looked up, he noticed tiny, almost invisible threads had wrapped themselves around his arms, and was now lifting him up. Panic broke through his chest when he looked towards the ground, noting he was going higher and higher. Kicking his legs wildly, he cried out.

He was suddenly pulled towards the tree the man had disappeared in, and he found the dark-haired man standing on a branch, frowning in confusion. His hands were spread out and Goku could see the tiny threads that disappeared into each one of his fingers. "You're… a puppet master?" Goku breathed.

The man frowned, studying him. "You aren't Seiten Taisei after all…" the man seemed relieved by this. He sighed, before the confident smile somehow slipped back onto his lips. "Well Goku, it's a pleasure to meet you, I must say…" he trailed off, studying his face closer. Goku frowned. This close scrutiny was annoying the hell out of him. Not to mention the fact that being held up by thin threads by his arms was becoming painful. "My name's Homura."

"Nice to meet you, Homura," Goku replied, attempting to keep the sarcasm out of his tone. "Now could you please let me down? My arms are starting to hurt."

Homura chuckled softly. "Of course." He pulled his hands towards him, and Goku swung forwards, before he was gently lowered on the branch before him. The strings released him, and Goku rubbed his wrists softly. Damn. That hurt.

"Now," Goku snapped, looking utterly defiant. Homura smirked, placing his hands on his hips as though he were amused by Goku's stance. "Can you tell me what the hell that was? What happened to Gojyo?"

Homura smiled. "Didn't your mother ever tell you the stories of the Moss? Or about how you should always be careful never to walk on it unless necessary?"

Goku frowned softly. "Let's just say I'm not from around here."

Homura grinned. "Well don't worry. Your friend is fine. The Moss likes to suck people up and spit them out in a certain area. In fact, he should be meeting up with the Rebellion about now. I heard that they were camping near the Moss' exit point."

"The Rebellion?" Goku echoed, before his eyes shone brightly. "Can you take me there?"

Homura frowned softly, placing his hands on his hips and staring off, as if deciding whether or not he should. "I'm not sure," he drawled on, sparking irritation in Goku's mind. "What's in it for me?"

Goku frowned, before shoving his hand in his pocket and rummaging around for anything the man might want. Finally, he pulled his hands out. "I've got thirty five cents and a button," he offered, knowing full well it would probably be turned down.

Homura frowned softly, leaning forwards and grabbing the quarter in Goku's hand. Turning it over, he studied it. "What is this?" he asked.

"Uh… it's a quarter," Goku answered cautiously.

Homura frowned, contemplating it before suddenly, the moose emblem reached out, and bit down on Homura's thumb. Giving a yelp, Homura thrust the quarter back in Goku's hands. He growled softly. "Is it supposed to do that?" he asked.

Goku suddenly looked fearful. "N-No! I swear!"

"That can only mean one thing," Homura growled, flipping around where he stood and looking out through the trees. "Come out, Nataku. You can't hide from me."

Goku blinked in confusion, before a soft snicker filtered through the trees. A young boy, perhaps a few years younger then Goku flipped down from a higher branch, landing besides them. His long dark hair was done up in a bun, with long bangs that hung across his face. He wore a beige robe, similar to what Homura had on. He was shorter then both of them, with bright golden eyes and a large sword stung across his shoulders. Homura growled softly. "What do you want, Nataku?"

Nataku shrugged softly, his eyes settling on Goku before turning back to Homura, a frown lighting his features. "That's not Seiten Taisei," he said, as in answer to Homura's question. "And here you got my hopes up for nothing."

Goku felt irritation spike. Why the hell was everyone mistaking him for this goddamn Seiten Taisei person? This was the third person now and it was starting to get on his nerves. Homura shrugged helplessly before crossing his arms. "Sorry Nataku can't help you," he said with a sigh. His eyes suddenly narrowed with devilish intent. "But when Seiten Taisei is finally freed during the Eclipse, he will be mine."

Nataku grinned. "Not likely. That wholesome demon is on my side. He'll kill you before you can even say your name."

Homura smiled, holding his hands up, a sign he was ready to fight. "Shall we see then, who will be killed first?"

Nataku readied his sword. "You know I'm always ready for a fight, Homura." The two then lunged out at each other. Nataku swung his deadly sword, and Homura just managed to dodge the attack. Throwing his hands out front, Goku watched as the tiny strings wrapped around Nataku's blade, immobilizing him. Nataku grinned suddenly, as colors began swimming. In an instant two gigantic tigers appeared on either side of Homura.

The dark haired man let a grin pass his lips. "Nataku, Prince of Illusions eh?" Homura chuckled dryly. "Your style never changes."

"Says the puppet master," Nataku shot back, before the tigers suddenly lunged out, preparing to attack. Without dropping his hold on Nataku's sword, Homura flipped around, nailing a kick to one tiger, before ducking, watching the other sail over him. The tiger could not catch its grip as it went sailing off the edge of the branch, taking Goku with it.

The tiger slammed into Goku, and they went falling over the edge of the branch. Goku let a scream lose, attempting to grab anything that would keep him falling to the hard ground below. He only managed to scratch his hands up as he continued to fall. Even the tiger illusion disappeared before they managed to fall very far.

Homura and Nataku could only stare at where the young brunette had been thrown over the side. Homura cracked a small smirk. "Oops."

---

Gojyo felt like something was splitting his head in two as he awoke. He wished more then anything he was back in his nice warm bed where he could sleep for hours and hours and not have to be in this twisted world where trees ate your lighters and squirrels spoke Spanish. Slowly, as he peeled open his eyes, he noticed the large sun was setting on the western horizon, and the smaller, orange sun was making its way towards the top of the sky.

Gojyo groaned softly, sitting up. He was about to take in his surroundings when a spear was suddenly pointed at his throat. Six more followed, all pointing and ready to strike. Gojyo froze, looking around him. The people around him were all dressed in dark colors, and looked like they were covered in dirt. They all glared at him, as if he was some kind of intruder bent on destroying their lives. Gojyo could only hold his hands up meekly. At his movement, a few spears tightened around him. "I come in peace?" he offered softly.

"Goddess save you men!" cried an annoyed voice, and suddenly spears were dropped and they backed away, allowing another man to step forwards. He had short brown hair, with green eyes hidden behind glasses. He wore strange green robes which split up the thigh the reveal black pants. He glared at the men, and they all looked away, as though ashamed. "You don't point spears at whoever wanders into our camp! Does he look like an Order member?"

"But sir!" one of the men insisted. "He's wearing dark blue! It's the color of the Order! He could be a spy!"

Gojyo looked down towards his sweatshirt, suddenly regretting wearing it today. "I can take it off if you want," he offered. Gojyo yelped when he found several spears pointing back at him.

The brunette sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Tell me, would General Kenren be an Order member?"

At the name, ripples of whispers ran through the crowd. The men suddenly bowed, muttering apologizes under their breath before dispersing. The brunette offered him a smile, before placing a finger to his lips in a signal of silence. Then, grabbing Gojyo by the hand, he pulled him to his feet. Finally able to see his surroundings, Gojyo realized he'd landed right outside a camp base. Tents were set up everywhere, with wagons and horses and people running every which way. He weaved through a number of people, before finally pulling him into a nearby tent.

Only then did the brunette release him. Gojyo could only stand awkwardly in the center of the tent, taking in his surroundings before the brunette fell onto a chair, shakily pouring himself a glass of whiskey. Gojyo found the tent held a small cot, a desk and a bookshelf. The desk was scattered with papers and the bookshelf was filled with all sorts of books and scrolls. Gojyo's eyes settled on the young brunette, who was staring at him. "The Sun Goddess must hate me," the man muttered, running a hand over his face. "Tell me, who are you and why do you look like Kenren?"

Gojyo shoved his hands in his pocket, fingering his cigarettes while smiling smugly. "Name's Gojyo. And I can't say why I look like your friend; I was born with this handsome face, not much I can do about it."

The brunette chuckled softly. "…Sound like him too." Slowly, the man got to his face, extending his hand. "My name's Hakkai. It's nice to meet you, Gojyo."

Gojyo grinned, accepting the handshake, before letting his happy demeanor slip away. "So, I know this is going to sound weird, but can you tell me what's going on? What's with this camp, and where am I and… uh… everything?"

Hakkai frowned softly. "We're the Rebellion. Haven't you heard of us?"

Gojyo needed an excuse. He needed something that didn't sound as ridiculous as 'well, I come from another dimension and I don't know my way around this one…' He nibbled on his lip for a moment, before finally coming up with an answer. "I have amnesia. I woke up a few weeks ago and I have no idea what's going on or whatever. All I could remember was my name."

Hakkai nodded, seeming to accept that answer. "Well," he said with a sigh, as if wondering where to begin. "We're the Rebellion, a group of people who go against the Order."

"That's been bugging me," Gojyo intercepted. "What is the Order?"

"The Order is an organization that keeps the peace. They make sure the demon-human treaty stays in tact, while looking after troublesome monsters and keeps everything under wraps. To be blunt, they're a constant constriction on the freedom of our world," Hakkai added with a snarl.

"But they're just trying to keep the peace, right?" Gojyo asked.

Hakkai shook his head, while unconsciously beginning to pace. "They were. But now the leaders are becoming corrupt. Their stranglehold is becoming tighter and tighter and soon there won't be any freedom left. The Rebellion serves to attempt to try and bring freedom back to our people. So, during the Eclipse, we will overrun the Order and start it anew. That way, we can make sure that—while keeping the peace—laws and restrictions don't make it seem as though we're trying to dictate everyone's lives."

Gojyo nodded, falling back into a nearby chair. "That makes sense. I can see where you're going with all this."

Hakkai smiled warmly. "If you don't have anywhere to go, the Rebellion happily takes in anyone who would join our cause."

Gojyo smiled. This man seemed a little too trusting, and it made him chuckle. "I would love to stay,' he answered with a nod.

The tent flap was suddenly thrown aside, and a young guard entered. He bowed. "I am sorry to disturb you, Marshal Hakkai, but an emergency meeting has been called. Kougaiji is back with his report from Capital City."

"Ah, I see," turning to Gojyo, Hakkai offered a kind smile. "I must be going. Make yourself at home."

As the man turned to leave, Gojyo found a question poking at the back of his mind. "Hakkai?" The man turned to face him. "Who was Kenren?"

Hakkai's smile suddenly became melancholy. "An old… friend of mine. He died not long ago," his eyes then moved back up to meet Gojyo's. "You remind me of him."

Gojyo muttered an apology for bringing it up, which Hakkai forgave him for. Hakkai then stepped out, leaving Gojyo alone within the tent. Pulling out his cigarettes, Gojyo lit one on a nearby candle, before leaning back and studying the roof of the tent with interest.

* * *

**A/N: **Hello everyone! Welcome to another chapter of Reflection! Hakkai has finally made his appearence, Homura decides to pop in, Gojyo is eaten by moss, while Goku takes a tumble off a fifty foot tree... Wow, what an interesting chapter indeed. 

I quite like this chapter, but I have to say the next one is my favorite. Sanzo and Goku meet, Seiten Taisei makes another appearence (Totally in love with ST) and more develops between Gojyo and Hakkai. I hope you are all loving what I'm writing because I know I am!! Please leave your thoughts. I love you all.


	4. Chapter Three: Dues a'in re, Sanzo?

**Reflection **

**Chapter Three: Dues a'in re, Sanzo?**

Sanzo growled softly. This was not his day. The Sun Goddess must've truly hated him, as he found himself standing with his back against the wall, glaring down the demon before him. Seiten Taisei was sick, that was easy enough to figure out. But there was something more. He was angry, as though there was someone to blame for his sickness. In his rare moments of strength, Seiten Taisei had stood, cursing and growling in a language Sanzo could not understand. He continually turned to Sanzo, repeating the same phrases over as over as if pleading for him to understand. "Seckoi un'molite gn'hiat so! Seckoi no dues sha! Olien, Sanzo! Olien!"

His brief explosions were followed by exhaustion when the demon's body gave out under him, unable to move. Seiten Taisei had never experienced sickness in the time Sanzo had known him. It was what made his sudden fever so startling. No matter what Sanzo did to try and help the demon, it all proved fruitless. Seiten Taisei's fever was only getting worse. Sanzo had opted to visit the Order's building to pick up his documents. It took longer then expected, as Oliver found the need to stall him. When he did finally get back home, Sanzo had found Seiten Taisei had collapsed in a shivering ball by the door. When he'd attempted to pull the demon back to bed, Seiten Taisei had grabbed him, his claws pinching into Sanzo's arm, drawing blood. In a weak, feverish voice he mumbled, "Sanzo, dues a'in re?"

Sanzo had no idea what the demon had asked him, but he couldn't help but feel a stab of guilt at the absolutely lost look in his eyes. Sanzo had said nothing as he dragged Seiten Taisei back into his corner of a bed, forcing him to swallow some pills and eat something before allowing him to sleep. That was what he needed now.

He'd gotten through some of the documents by the time the First Sun was high in the sky. Sanzo cooked himself lunch, and brought something in from the back for Seiten Taisei. When he went upstairs to bring the demon his lunch, he'd found the demon peacefully asleep. Sanzo had simply left his lunch on the desk, as always, before departing towards the Western Woods to find out exactly what Lirin had been sobbing about the previous day.

He doubted he'd find anything. If anything was there, it was long gone by now.

It had been a pain dealing with the trees. They often liked casting illusions, and Sanzo had seen his master in these woods more times then he liked to think about. The trees didn't seem intent about bothering him today though, which was good. He was in a mood to shoot something and the trees would have to do.

He stumbled about; searching for anything that might prove what Lirin saw was nothing but an illusion. He really wasn't sure why he was here. Sanzo finally concluded that he needed to get out of the house and this was some stupid task that needed to be done. Might as well kill two birds with one stone. It hadn't been long into his search, when his name was called. Before he could say anything a figure suddenly plopped down in front of him. Sanzo was ready to grab his gun before he recognized the form in front of him, and growled. "What do you want, Nataku?"

The dark haired child in front of him shrugged. "Nuthin'," he muttered innocently, before frowning slightly. "Just wondering what you were doing here. Not every day you decide to stroll out into my woods."

Sanzo and Nataku did not have much in common. Hell, most of the time they couldn't stand each other. The only similarity they shared was their hatred for Homura. A few years back when Sanzo had been assigned to take Homura down, Nataku had temporarily joined his side to see the puppet master fall. Despite the fact that they had both teamed up on the dark haired man, he managed to slip through their fingers. A lot of things did that here. Since then the pair found no need to fight, though they would, if needed.

"I'm looking for something," Sanzo snapped. "Or rather, someone. A kid, brown hair, supposedly looks like Seiten Taisei."

Nataku frowned at the news. "And what do I get if I help you?" he asked.

Sanzo scowled. "Don't do this Nataku," he growled, his tone promising pain.

Nataku smiled, shrugging his shoulders. "If there's no reward, then I'm afraid I can't help you. I've got my own problems. Some of the trees say Homura's been hanging around my woods again. I'll have to break his fucking face this time, to make sure he stays out of my territory." Nataku paused, as if thinking of something more. "But, some of the trees have been complaining of two boys that were very, very noisy. I hear one of them has brown hair…"

Sanzo smirked. "You know if they're still around?"

Nataku shrugged, flicking at the dirt under his fingernails. "I hear the Moss got one of them. Not sure which," he gave a wave, turning back towards the trees. "See yah, Sanzo. I have a rat to catch." And then he was gone.

Sanzo sighed, turning on his heel. So, was it really true? Was there really someone looking like Seiten Taisei running around? Sanzo sighed, and began walking again.

It was a few hours later and still Sanzo was empty handed. He hated these trees. It was like wandering through an endless maze. The Moss had already tried to capture him twice in this monotonous walk, but he'd luckily been able to get out of it. But now he had bits of moss and some fucked up goop stuck to his boots. He really needed something to shoot. "¡Hola, Señor bueno!" With an irritated quirk of the brow, Sanzo turned, finding a squirrel seated on a nearby rock. Fuck. He hated squirrels. They never left you alone when they wanted you to buy something. The squirrel then turned towards its bag, pulling out a pack of crappy 'squirrel-branded' cigarettes. "¿Puedo interestarle en la compra estos cigarillos?"

"Piss off tiny, I'm not interested." With that, Sanzo turned to head back towards the entrance of the damned forest. Fuck this, he was going home.

The squirrel puffed up at him. "¡Tu eres un hombre antipatico!" it cried, before turning and scurrying from sight.

When Sanzo heard a scream, he froze, glancing around. It was only when the scream stopped did he bother to look above him. He cursed loudly at a form falling towards him. Having nothing else to do, he held out his arms, catching the body before tumbling to the ground. Sanzo cursed repeatedly, glad whoever he caught was small. Sitting up, he cursed. The brown haired boy in his arms appeared to have fainted during the fall. Unlike Seiten Taisei's the boy's hair was clipped, barely brushing the back of his neck, and he looked much more human then Seiten Taisei. Then again, that was expected. Aside from the differences, Sanzo finally realized why someone would mistake this boy for the blood thirsty demon in his house. Sanzo wondered idly if the boy had golden eyes as well. As the realization of the situation began to sink in, Sanzo cursed.

"Fuck, now I have two of them to feed."

---

It was a while before Hakkai had returned from said meeting. Gojyo, after smoking through his entire pack, had gone out to find some sort of entertainment. After memorizing where Hakkai's tent was, he headed out to look around. He was slightly saddened by what he saw. It seemed like everywhere he went people were suspicious or injured or both. It looked as though someone had gone on a rampage through the place, injuring and killing almost everyone. There were people out on the street, sick. Those that were able bodied had weapons. Some were training, others were going about daily jobs, or attempting to help the sick. It made Gojyo's chest tight.

He pursed his lips when he heard a child's crying. Turning, he found a young woman with violet hair cradling a baby in her arms. She looked frantic and absolutely heartbroken. "What do you mean I have to wait another few days?" the woman cried, looking absolutely distraught. "What happened to the medicine we got from Capital City's supply tank?"

"Sorry Yaone," the man replied awkwardly. "But there was none. The medicine supply was very low there, and what we did get has already been used."

The woman sighed softly. "All right. Thank you." Gojyo watched as the young woman turned, meeting with a red haired man. The husband, Gojyo reasoned. He watched as the two of them disappeared down the road.

"Now you see what the Order has reduced us to?" Gojyo gave out an undignified yelp, turning to find Hakkai standing behind him. The brunet gave a warm smile and a wave, as if to say, 'hi there.'

"Fuck Hakkai, don't sneak up on me like that," Gojyo snapped, before the pair turned, walking down the street. Gojyo could only absorb the suffering around him, wishing there was something he could do. "Damnit man, this is horrible."

"We have limited supplies. The Order thinks they can starve us to death," Hakkai sighed, glancing up and down the streets. "With the Eclipse coming, they may very well be right." He paused, as if waiting for Gojyo to speak. When he didn't say anything, Hakkai went on. "We used to be pretty well off. But a few weeks ago it leaked out where we were hiding. Our entire camp was destroyed, and our food supply was depleted. This is what's left. We do have food, but we were saving it for the Eclipse. I'm afraid if we break it out too quickly then we won't last long after the Eclipse has settled in." Hakkai let out a soft laugh. "So much for a Rebellion, eh?"

Gojyo shrugged. "I've seen worse," he muttered, before turning to the side. He frowned as he spotted two children running around, playing. They were covered in mud and looked far too thin for his liking. "But… I want to help." Hakkai looked up in surprise. "I don't like children dying, Hakkai, it's not my style. So, I'll help. In whatever way I can."

Hakkai smiled softly. "Thank you, Gojyo."

Gojyo just grinned.

"Ah! I've been looking for you, Hakkai." Blinking, the brunet looked up in time to see a dark haired man drop in front of them. He was clothed in a light purple robe, with mismatched eyes and a smile that caused immediate anger to spark within Gojyo's chest.

Hakkai's face brightened considerably when he spotted the man. "Ah! Homura! I've been expecting you. You bring good news, I hope?"

Homura smiled softly. "News, but I wouldn't call it good." Hakkai's smile faded slightly. "Somehow, Capital City has found out about your next attack on the supply tanks. They've reinforced guard to at least ten times. You won't be able to get in."

Hakkai frowned lightly. "Is there any possible way?"

Homura shook his head. "No. I'm afraid there isn't," his smile suddenly took a mischievous turn. "All though, I do believe Seiten Taisei…"

"No!" Hakkai snapped. "We will not release Seiten Taisei. It's too risky."

Homura shrugged. "Suit yourself." His eyes then trailed over to Gojyo, and a mock frown lit up his features. "I am sorry to hear about your loss."

"What loss?" Gojyo snapped, a little too harshly.

"Your friend… what was his name?" Homura tapped his chin, as though trying to remember. "Gonou… Goko... Go…"

"Goku?" Gojyo finally shot out, annoyed at the man's teasing.

Homura smiled, nodding. "That's it! Goku." His smile faded and the mock frown returned. "He took an awful tumble from a tree branch. Must've been at least ten stories up. I'm afraid he's dead now. Tata!" Homura gave a wave, before disappearing.

"Hey, wait!" Gojyo cried, flipping around and trying to find out what had happened to the man. But he was gone. Disappeared in a flash. "Fuck." Without a second thought, he charged back towards the forest.

Hakkai grabbed his arm. "What do you think you're doing?"

"What am I doing?" Gojyo snapped. "I'm going to look for Goku, that's what! Now let go of me!"

Hakkai's grip only tightened. "You'll get lost in there long before you manage to find him," he snapped, causing Gojyo to flinch. "Look, I'm sorry for your loss, Gojyo, but there's nothing you can do."

Gojyo couldn't explain the sorrow that built up in his chest. Turning his head away, he hated the tears that stung the back of his eyes. Was Goku… was Goku really dead? Closing his eyes, he tried to flush the image of his golden eyes friend from his mind, but it only came back stronger then before. Ripping his arm away, he quickly began walking away. He didn't care where he was going; he just needed to get away.

Hakkai seemed to understand. He didn't follow him.

---

As Goku began to regain consciousness, the smell of cooking meat caught his attention. Hunger fully pushed him from his sleep-ridden state, and he sat up. As he blinked away his exhaustion, he found himself lying on a lumpy couch, in a dusty old living room that looked like it had never been used. There really wasn't much in the room. An old coffee table and a bookshelf with only a few titles. Goku yawned, rising to his feet. He couldn't help but wonder who's house he was in. Hadn't he been in the forest not long ago? How did he get here?

Cautiously, he rose to his feet. Despite his suspicious surroundings, the scent of cooking meat drew him towards the kitchen. He was starving. Hell, being cautious and suspicious and all that took energy. And right now he needed something in his stomach.

Slowly, he headed into the kitchen, eyeing his surroundings as he did so. There really wasn't much around. Just a simple stove, cupboards and a table off in the corner. Though there was an absolutely beautiful blond man cooking. Goku's jaw almost dropped at the sight of him. He was clothed in black pants that were slightly faded at the knees and the hem. He wore what looked like a Chinese style shirt that had been cut off at the sleeves, which left Goku open to his bare arms and shoulders. His skin looked almost porcelain. It was beautiful. Goku had to shake his head when he realized he was staring. Suddenly nervous, he stepped into the kitchen. The sound of his footfalls alerted the man, as he turned to face him. Goku almost gasped at the sight of beautiful violet eyes peered at him under a mask of annoyance. "So, you're awake," the man noted dryly, turning back to the stove. "I assume you're hungry. Dinner's almost ready."

Goku couldn't stop the grin that stretched across his face. "Thanks, I'm starving," he was about to turn to head towards the table, but stopped himself. Curiosity was eating away at him. He wanted to know the man's name. So, he stuck out his hand, watching the blond eye it wearily. "My name's Goku," he said, grinning. "And you are…?"

"Sanzo." The man replied, denying him his handshake. "Now sit down and don't make a fuss. I'm almost done."

Goku frowned at the man's rudeness, but none the less turned to head back towards the table. Only a moment later was a plate placed in front of him. It was covered with strange strips of meat flavored in some type of sauce, and steamed vegetables topped in the same sauce. It looked delicious. He could only stare blankly at the chopsticks Sanzo had placed with his meal. This world ate with chopsticks? Seriously? "Uh… do you have a fork I could use?" Goku asked. He didn't want to be rude, but he had no idea how to use chopsticks.

Sanzo glared at him. "No." Then he returned to his own meal.

Goku shrugged, before deciding that they couldn't be that hard to use. After studying the way Sanzo used them, Goku attempted to operate the strange sticks in a similar manner. It ended horribly so Goku opted for stabbing the damn meat and pulling it into his mouth. Dinner seemed to go by quickly and silently, and when it was over Sanzo returned to the counter, pulling all the leftover meat onto a plate. It looked about enough to feed about six people. Why did he cook so much? "Where are you going?" Goku pressed, rising to his feet and following the man towards the stairs.

"I have one more mouth to feed," Sanzo answered.

Goku frowned. "So, you have a kid or something?"

Sanzo laughed. It was a bitter, almost sarcastic laughter. "Yeah, he's one big kid all right."

They headed up the stairs and down the hall. Goku stared at the door in awe. It was covered in seals, with a giant lock that kept the door sealed shut. Sanzo thrust the plate into his hands as he yanked the lock open. He stood for a moment, before grabbing the plate and frowning. "Are you sure you want to follow me in here? Seiten Taisei doesn't like unfamiliar faces."

Seiten Taisei? Was the thing everyone was confusing him with beyond that door? With newfound resolve, Goku nodded. He wanted to meet this thing, if only to satisfy his own curiosity. "Yes. I'm sure."

Sanzo snorted. "All right. Don't blame me if he takes one of your limbs off."

Then, slowly, Sanzo opened the door, and quickly stepped inside. Goku followed his lead, before the door was shut behind him. Goku stared at the room in awe, slightly stunned at the mess. He watched Sanzo approach the sideways bookshelf, first placing the plate on the desk. He leaned over, pressing his hand towards the demon's forehead. Then he heard a soft mumble. Goku stepped forwards to hear better. "Sanzo… Seckoi so. Seckoi so. Sanzo, Kuinoi ma re'thu. A'in euntipi Sanzo... seckoi... shadow… my shadow. Sanzo, you traitor, you brought my shadow… Don't touch me, Sanzo, you traitor…"

Slowly, Goku stepped up next to Sanzo, peering over the edge. His breath caught. He swore he was looking into a living reflection. The demon that lay bedridden looked almost exactly like him, save for his hair was much longer and his eyes took on a more demonic appeal. Seiten Taisei appeared to be struggling with a sickness, as sweat cloaked his brow, and his body shook with cold. Slowly, hazy golden eyes flickered over to him and the demon grit his teeth. "Bastard…." He hissed.

"What did I do?" Goku snapped before he could stop himself.

Sanzo's eyes snapped over to his, slightly wide and shocked. "You can understand him?" he asked.

Goku frowned slightly. "Of course. He's speaking English."

"Quick!" Sanzo exclaimed as Seiten Taisei began to murmur delusional way. "What's he saying?"

"… Seckoi…. Oli Dun'lane. Seckoi so… Seckoi… Dosa? Dosa, Seckoi? Seckoi no dues sha… Dosa uin Seckoi dues re? Olien, Sanzo, dues en Seckoi na. Wiun, dues ka. Olien, Sanzo, Olien. Dues ka…. Euntipi, Sanzo. Dosa oi Sanzo er'thin eunti? Olien, euntipi, dues ka…."

Goku licked his lips as the demon's mumbles became too incoherent to hear. Slowly, he began to relay the message. "Shadow… You bastard… my Shadow, shadow… Why? Why Shadow? My shadow is killing me… Why does my shadow kill me? Please, Sanzo, kill my shadow. No, kill me. Please, Sanzo, please. Kill me… Traitor Sanzo. Why does Sanzo betray me? Please, traitor, kill me…"

Goku turned his eyes back up to Sanzo, to find the man's eyes swimming with some thing he couldn't name. "We need to talk," he said simply, before turning from the room.

Goku cast one last glance at Seiten Taisei, before turning to follow.

* * *

**A/N: **I love this chapter. A lot of SanzoGoku interaction, but then again, it is my favorite parring. (smiles devilishly) Anyway, there is more GojyoHakkai action to come, I promise. I'm trying my best, I swear! And more Seiten Taisei action as well. Because I love him so. Though I must say that I love Seiten Taisei in this chapter. He feels like the emo kid who's always left behind. I can't wait to incorperate him a little more into the storyline.

And Homura's such an ass, don't you think? (giggles) C&C appriciated.


	5. Chapter Four: Evening Calm

**Reflection**

**Chapter Four: Evening Calm**

"Fuck!" The chain recoiled again, and Gojyo had to dodge awkwardly before it sliced him up again. He fell to the dusty ground, and lay unmoving for several minutes. Everything hurt. His arms, legs, lungs—hell, even his hair hurt. But he had to keep going. For Goku's sake, he would master this goddamn weapon even if it was the death of him.

Hakkai was at his side in an instant, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. Damnit, even Hakkai's soothing touch hurt like a bitch. "Maybe we should stop, Gojyo," he told him in a quiet, soothing voice. "Rest for today, we can pick it up again tomorrow."

Gojyo groaned softly, pushing himself up into a sitting position. His body was covered in dim slash marks that had been healed by the young brunet next to him. When the first slash had appeared, he'd been stunned as he watched Hakkai heal it almost instantly. There was nothing but a dim scar. The man's ability to concentrate his own life force astounded Gojyo, and he silently wanted to know more of what this man could do. Turning to look at the discarded Shakujou, Gojyo growled softly. "No… I've almost got it. I want to work… a little longer."

Hakkai sighed, getting to his feet and standing back as Gojyo stumbled to his feet. After steadying himself, he ripped the Shakujou upwards, watching the chain whip out, the deadly blade spinning off in unpredictable patterns. Gojyo jerked his wrist back, and the blade headed back towards him. Growling, Gojyo flipped the other end up, blocking him before it hit him. He let the metal clatter to the ground in front of him, as he fell back onto the grass. Hakkai was at his side in an instant, though there was no real cause of concern. Gojyo simply chuckled, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a cigarette. He placed it to his lips, as Hakkai produced a lighter and lit it for him. Gojyo turned to stare at the man out of the corner of his eye, before he had to take the cigarette from his mouth and allow the smoke to filter out of his lips.

"Damn," he whispered hoarsely. "Never buy cigarettes from a spanish squirrel. They suck ass."

Hakkai only laughed softly.

---

A cup of tea was placed in front of him, and Goku jumped, looking at the cup before up at the blond man before him, settling into the chair across from him. Goku stared at him, before turning back to the cup in front of him. He was never much of a tea person. He found it tasted too thin for his liking, but Sanzo could be slightly intimidating, and Goku didn't want too insult him by not drinking any of it. Taking it to his lips, he sipped it softly, peering at the blond over the rim of the cup. Sanzo was blatantly staring at him, not much caring if he knew.

Goku sighed, placing the tea down. It was far too bitter for his tastes anyway, and he doubted he'd be able to force it down with Sanzo staring at him like that. "What?" he finally asked, turning towards the older man with a touch of a frown.

"You're from the other side of the mirror, aren't you?"

Goku almost chocked on his own thoughts. "What?" he cried, trying to regain his breath. "You know about the bus? The mirror thing?"

Sanzo glared at him. "Yes," he muttered out, almost as though admitting it was embarrassing.

"Then you must know what's going on! How I can get home?' he cried, his voice leaking desperation. He hadn't realized his grip on the mug had grown tight.

"I don't know how the busing system works, idiot," Sanzo snapped, rising to his feet as if to put distance between them. He stepped up next to the counter, leaning against it and crossing his arms. It was as though the entire situation distressed him. "I was just there, a long, long time ago," his eyes slid closed. "The bus came, and picked me up, and before I knew it, I was on the other side of the mirror." He paused, as if waiting for Goku to say something. When the brunet said nothing, he went on. "I saw a lot of things there, in your world. Things I never want to see again. Luckily, the bus came only after about three weeks. I never intended to go back."

Goku frowned softly. "Then… do you know what the fee is?"

Sanzo shook his head. "I never figured that part out."

Goku stayed silent for a moment, before crossing his arms and staring at the blond. Frowning slightly as things began to click into focus. "Then… that means that Seiten Taisei…"

"He's your reflection," Sanzo answered. "Or you're his. Either way…"

Goku's gaze fell back to the table. Seiten Taisei said something like that. His shadow… Did the demon know something? Maybe he understood the busing system, or got why he was here? There were things the demon said that were starting to eat away at Goku's confidence. He needed to talk to him again. Turning his gaze back up to Sanzo, his eyes hardened with his resolve. "Can I talk to him again?" he asked. "Seiten Taisei?"

Sanzo frowned, and Goku swore he seemed a bit overprotective of the demon. "Fine," the blond said, rising to his feet and heading towards the stairs. Goku was quick to scramble after him. "But don't talk to him long. The last thing I need is for the idiot to get even sicker."

Goku nodded in understanding. "That's fine," he said as they arrived in front of the door. For some reason, Goku couldn't stop the guilt from twisting in his chest. He felt like Seiten Taisei's illness had been his fault. Some of the things the demon said were eating away at him. Maybe he was just imagining things. Sanzo opened the door, and Goku stepped inside. He headed back towards the bed, surprised to find the demon semi-conscious, and staring up at the ceiling. As soon as Goku's face came into view, Seiten Taisei's eyes flickered over towards him.

The demon let out a soft growl, attempting to turn away from him. His efforts seemed in vain, however, as the sheets had securely twisted him in place. "Go away…" came the growl from the demon, as it forcefully turned his eyes away. "I do not want to look at you."

Goku frowned lightly, pushing the bookshelf aside slightly so he could creep in next to the demon's bed. He ignored Seiten Taisei's growl. "I just want to talk to you. Do you know anything at all about the mirror, and the busing system?"

"I do," Seiten Taisei let out with a growl. "I have been around since the birth of time. I know everything."

Goku let his shoulders relax. Smiling slightly, he whispered, "Do you know how I can get home?"

Seiten Taisei refused to answer him this, before mumbling, "For every person it's different. You have to figure out what it is you need to pay, pay it, and get home your own way. I cannot help you." His eyes then trailed lazily back to him, and Seiten Taisei licked his parched lips. "Though I do hope you get home quicker. The sooner you leave my world, the sooner I can recover."

Goku raised a confused brow. "What do you mean?"

Seiten Taisei growled softly at Goku's ignorance. "The world can only have one of each person. And because you have decided to waltz into my side of the mirror, you are slowly killing me. The sooner you leave, the sooner I can recover from this wretched illness." It was becoming more difficult to breathe, and the demon's eyes rolled back in his head, but he strained to keep conscious. "If I had the energy, I would kill you myself and reclaim my life."

Goku hadn't even noticed Seiten Taisei had wrestled an arm free until three claws raked him across the face. Hot pain ripped through Goku's cheek, and he stumbled back, clutching his right cheek as blood began to pool down it. Seiten Taisei seemed satisfied, as his eyes rolled back in his head and he lost consciousness. Goku stumbled backwards, clutching his pained face and cursing softly. Sanzo stepped up to him almost immediately. "C'mon, we should bandage that."

Goku could only nod, as he turned with the blond to head down the stairs. Two days in this world and already Goku wanted nothing more then to run home, hide under his bed and cry until he was sure every trace of this nightmare was gone.

---

"Sanzo, what does this do?" Goku asked brightly for the third time in a row. Sanzo grit his teeth, pushing his fingers to his temples. A headache was setting in. A nasty one too. This was going to be a long day. Prying open his eyes, he looked to what Goku was pointing to.

The boy had been fitted in one of the Order's uniforms. Simple black pants and a navy blue top with a golden crest of the Order embodied into it. It seemed a little too big on the boy, and the sleeves were a little too long, but it was the smallest he could find. The material was thick and durable, but light. Goku looked good in it, he decided, but would never admit it aloud. "It's an Uthian," he muttered, turning his attention back down towards his paperwork.

Goku shot him a blank stare.

"It's kind of like an organizer. It stacks papers," he muttered, not even having to look up to know Goku was staring stupidly at him. He tapped his quill on the desk with a scowl. "Why don't you read something and stop bothering me?"

"I already went through your bookshelf though," Goku whined softly. "All your books suck!" Sanzo couldn't help but smirk, waiting patiently. After a second, a _whoosh_ of air flew past him and Goku let out a loud, "Ouch! What the hell!?"

Sanzo looked up as another book flew across the room, smacking him right in the back. Goku gave an undignified yelp and straightened up in time for another book to fly across the room and hit him. Goku cried out, before whining pathetically as he dodged two more books. "San_zo_," the boy whined, attempting to dodge another but only getting smacked upside the head by it. "What's going on?!"

Sanzo let a smirk cross his features as he watched several more books shoot across the room to nail Goku in the chest. "The books don't appreciate being told they suck," Sanzo explained. "You'd better apologize."

"Okay! Okay!" Goku cried as the books began to hover around him, flapping their pages at him. The sound collected until it almost sounded like a babbling language between the books. "I'm sorry! You don't suck! Really!"

Sanzo watched with an amused raise of the brow as all the books fell to the floor with a thud. Goku stood in the center of all the chaos, nursing spots which were bound to bruise. Masking his amusement with a scowl, Sanzo turned back towards his work. "I expect you to pick up all the books and put them back on the shelf."

Goku's eyes snapped up to him, wide in disbelief. "But San_zo_! They flew at _me_! It's not fair! Can't they pick themselves up?"

Sanzo snorted. "If they could then maybe things would make a bit more sense around here," he muttered, begrudgingly signing his permission for something or other before placing it in the 'Out' box. He heard the boy grumble something before turning to pick up the books.

Sanzo frowned deeply when a toy rabbit was suddenly thrust into his face, its legs kicking out in a dance to a song sung by someone who wasn't there. "Ding-Dong! Ding-Dong! Sanzo works far too hard! Sing-Song! Sing-Song! Sanzo needs a dis-trac-tion!" The bunny's arms suddenly spread wide, as if waiting in applause for his dance. Sanzo let his eyes stray to Goku, who watched in clear fascination and bewilderment.

Sanzo frowned, turning back to the rabbit. "Show yourself Nii, I don't appreciate talking to a rabbit."

"Aw," came a pouting voice, before the bunny's arms covered its face. "You made bunny sad."

"I'll also blow bunny's head off if you don't show your face." God he hated this guy. Such a slimy bastard. He glared, watching as Nii's form began to materialize in front of him. The scruffy scientist with dark hair and mischievous eyes hidden behind glasses. With a smirk that told tales of trouble.

"Sanzo, violent as ever are we?"

Sanzo's eyes narrowed. "Hello Nii."

"Whoa!" came a cry from the corner. Sanzo let a frown cross his face as he turned to look at his charge in the corner. Goku was staring blatantly wide eyed at Nii, completely stunned at his sudden appearance. "How did you do that?"

Nii chuckled as though the boy's outburst was amusing. Sanzo just found it annoying. "That's my secret," he said with a wink.

"Can you teach me how to do that?" he asked in stun, as he headed towards him, eyes bright and shining with something Sanzo wouldn't name. Said blond frowned, turning to look back over at the dark haired scientist.

"No, he can't, he's far too busy," Sanzo said with a slight snarl, watching as Nii turned back to him with an amused expression. "Now what the hell do you want, Nii?"

Nii leaned casually on the man's desk, playing with his stuffed rabbit. "I was just wondering what you were doing about the attack on Capital City tomorrow night?" he wondered, trailing his eyes back over to the man.

Sanzo's eyes narrowed. He never did like Nii. He was always too suspicious for his liking. "That's none of your concern Nii."

"I'm curious," Nii said with a pout. "Am I not allowed to learn things out of my field?" he asked.

"No." Sanzo said curtly.

"Okay then, though I do hope you at least have a plan. If the Rebellion gets hold of yet another supply tank I'm afraid that everyone will die," Nii's voice was laced with false sympathy and the bunny's hands fell to his eyes as it cried. "But, then, it's no real loss is it?" The man simply shrugged, before his form evaporated and Sanzo felt the man's presence leave them.

Sanzo let out a relieved sigh. He hated Nii. The man was too sneaky and carnivorous for his own good. Goku stared at the spot where Nii had disappeared, before his eyes trained back on Sanzo and he frowned softly. "What is the Rebellion?" Goku asked softly. "I've heard of it before."

Sanzo sighed. "It's a group of idiots, is what it is," Sanzo muttered out gruffly. "They're trying to overrun the Order because they think we're too constricting. What they're doing, really, is trying to bring anarchy upon everyone. For if the Order fell then the demons and the monsters that have been lying in wait would rip apart this land like precut paper." Sanzo closed his eyes, feeling a headache set in. "They're idiots, and nothing more."

Goku nodded digesting the information. "So, can you show me around a little more? This is all so freakishly cool!"

Sanzo let his eyes trail back towards the 'In' box. It looked as thought the pile was about to overflow. "Have Oliver take you around. He seems to like you. I have too much work to do."

At the sound of his name, a nearby painting sprang to live. It was of an old woman that looked a little too plump. "I'd love to!" it cried out in a young male voice that did not suit the painting at all. "Come on Goku, I want to show you some hallways that not even Sanzo knows about!" he cried out excitedly.

Goku grinned. "Kay!" he said, before turning and heading out into the hallway. Sanzo waited until the door closed before turning back to the pages that littered his desk. He stared at them for a long time before angrily running his hand along his desk, watching the ink bottle crash to the floor but did not break or spill and all the papers covered the floor like a blanket of white.

He stared, watching in annoyance as well as curiosity as the papers began to recollect themselves in perfect order, placing themselves back on his desk. One of the pages was nice enough to pick up his ink bottle again, placing it back on his table. He waited until everything was completely neat and reassembled before allowing himself to fall back into the chair with a sigh.

"Damnit…" he whispered, before threading his fingers in his hair and letting his head hang.

---

"So we've come to an agreement then?" Hakkai asked one final time, his eyes unreadable as he glanced between the three figures in the room. Each one he knew well and each one was all the more untrustworthy. Behind him stood several people who had been trusted with being within the meeting. All in all there stood himself, Gojyo, Kougaiji, and a few others he didn't bother to name. He stared into kaleidoscope eyes, hating the overconfidence that the man radiated. Homura's arms were crossed, a smile lighting his features.

"Of course. We help you take Capital City's second supply tank, and in return I secure myself a position of power once the new Order has been set up," Homura said with a smug smile, turning to face his companions. "Well, Zenon? Shien? How does that sound?"

"Sounds good," the redhead to his right replied with a smirk, steadying his gun in his hand.

"You know that it's whatever you wish, Homura," the other replied calmly.

Smug, Homura turned back to Hakkai. The brunet grit his teeth. He didn't trust Homura. Not one bit. But he was a good ally and an excellent fighter. If they wanted Capital City's supply tank, then they had to side with Homura and his accomplices, even if it meant giving up a place in power. Hakkai bit his tongue to keep from retracting the offer.

Homura stood, pleased with himself. "Well then," he said loudly, stretching his arms. "I'll say that this meeting has been adjourned, don't you? We'll see you tomorrow night an hour before the First Sun has set."

"So we shall," Hakkai replied with a polite nod and smile, watching as Homura and his accomplices left. Only then did he stand, and turn to leave without even nodding to the fellow people in the meeting. Gojyo was quick to dash out after him, chasing him partway down the road before he managed to catch his shoulder.

"Hakkai?" he called, as the man turned back to him, with a smile.

"What is it, Gojyo?" he seemed strained, tired. As if the meeting had taken a lot out of him.

"I want to come tomorrow night."

Hakkai's smile faded, replaced with a frown. "Gojyo, I don't think that's a good idea. You still haven't mastered your Shakujou. Perhaps you should stay back here, until you know how to use it better."

"No!" Gojyo snapped loudly, causing Hakkai to flinch slightly. Gojyo's eyes darted away, before he sighed. "I just don't want to be left behind. I want to do something, you know? I think I'd go crazy if I got left behind."

Hakkai smiled sympathetically. "All right Gojyo, you can come," he said it almost reluctantly. "Though you have to stay by me. I don't want you getting hurt."

Gojyo snickered. "C'mon 'Kai I'm not a kid, I can take care of myself," he said with a grin, and a pat on his shoulder. "I'm going over to the bar. Maxie's got a drink with my name on it. See yah later!"

Hakkai watched as he turned a corner, before letting his shoulder sag and a sigh to suck the strength from him. "I hope so, Gojyo," he whispered softly. "Because I don't think I'd be able to watch you die a second time."

* * *

**A/N: **This is more of a transition chapter, thought Seiten taisei is in it, so I'm happy. And I thoroughly believe that Gojyo would have had to go through a lot of training to master his Shakujou, which I'm trying to respresent here. Honestly, he has to have perfect timing for the blade not to hit him. I must say though, the next chapter is one of my favourites. More GojyoHakkai and SanzoGoku action to come also, I promise. 

C&C appriciated.


	6. Chapter Five: The Path we Choose

**Reflection **

**Chapter Five: The Path we Choose**

"Why the hell won't you let me come with you?!"

This exclamation was followed by the pounding of footsteps as the two figures moved throughout the house. Sanzo slammed the door open to the small bedroom, heading inside with a scowl. The young brunet was right on his heels, slamming the door closed behind him as he headed into the small room. Fuming, he watched the blond approach the nearby shelf, pulling his revolver off and strapping it to his belt before grabbing more bullets and strange rolled up pieces of paper. They were placed away faster then Goku could inspect them. Sanzo was ignoring him, his teeth grit and his eyes focusing on the job of reloading his gun.

"I asked you a fucking question, Sanzo," Goku growled, his hands fisting at his sides. He was through being nice. Sanzo was so annoying, so incredibly infuriating. He could draw out the worst in the brunet, Goku found. And it was starting to drive Goku crazy.

"I've reported your presence to the high members of the Order, and I've been instructed keeping you out of harms way until they decide what to do with you," Sanzo snapped finally, turning piercing violet eyes to meet Goku's. Taken aback by the strength of his anger, Goku took a step back. He quickly hardened his expression and tried to match the man's intensity. "Taking you to a confrontation of the Rebellion that could quite possibly turn into a fight is not a smart place for you."

"I don't care!" Goku cried, throwing his hands up in the air. "My best friend is down there with the Rebels. I want to see him again."

"Then you can visit him in prison when this is all over," Sanzo said coldly, turning to head from the room. Goku paused a moment, staring at his back before gritting his teeth and following after. They headed down towards the kitchen, Goku swearing and yelling all the way.

"The hell I'll let you arrest him! He didn't do anything wrong! He's innocent! He's—"

"If he's truly innocent then the Order will see to it that he is set free," Sanzo replied in a cool tone not wavering in its indifference. "Until then you are not allowed to leave this house without my permission."

Goku's eyes narrowed. "If you're not here then who's going to stop me?"

Sanzo let the beginnings of a smirk catch his lips. "Sparky will."

"What, you have a guard dog or something?" Goku snapped.

Sanzo turned back to him, and he was stunned by the sudden overconfidence radiating there. "Not exactly." Heading for the door again, he placed two fingers in his mouth and whistled. Goku could hear the loud clacks of porcelain on tile, before a teapot suddenly bolted out from behind a nearby counter. Water was splashing out, slapping on the floor as it attempted to catch its balance. It stopped in front of Sanzo, bouncing happily as though it were trying to catch its breath. It was waiting for Sanzo's orders.

"A guard teapot?" Goku crocked out finally. His eyes fluttered back up to Sanzo's back as he made his way towards the door. "You've got to be kidding."

Sanzo did not reply to him as he moved to pull on his boots. "Sparky. Guard."

As Goku took a step forwards, the teapot suddenly flipped around, growling and shifting the handle end high in the air. It barked at him, and Goku raised a brow. "You can't be serious…" he muttered under his breath, taking a step forwards. The teapot's top suddenly popped off, and a stretchy, green-colored creature burst from the lid. It's lower body attached back into the teapot, though it stretched up so the creature's face was right in front of Goku's. It had beady red eyes with long, pointed fans and ears that stuck out awkwardly on the side of its bald head. It glared right into Goku's eyes and gave out an echoing bark, which ricocheted off the walls of the small room. Taken aback, Goku fell back onto the ground, scurrying away from the frightful creature and staring as it was sucked back into the teapot, and the lid randomly flipped back into place. It yipped happily, trotting in front of Goku as though it were the strongest thing in the world.

Goku realized he was short of breath, staring at the teapot as it trotted away happily. His eyes then trailed back up towards the front door, realizing Sanzo had already left. Gritting his teeth, he swore. "Fucking bastard…" Goku whispered.

---

Apprehension was building. The Rebellion's able bodied were hiding out outside Capital City, watching as the First Sun slowly made it's decent beyond the horizon. Everyone was tense, and excited. Most people talked quietly among themselves, waiting for the signal to attack. Everything was quiet, and Gojyo couldn't help but grin as he surveyed the city in front of him. He felt as though he'd landed into a fantasy novel. They were going to go in, stop the evil organization, save the damsel in distress and be the heroes. Gojyo wasn't sure there was a damsel in distress, but he was sure if he looked hard enough he could find one.

Glancing over his shoulder, he spotted Hakkai talking to a nearby solider. Probably giving orders on how to strategize the attack. Hakkai didn't seem like the type who'd leave everything to chance. His crimson eyes trailed over towards a young couple arguing softly. The redheaded husband seemed intent on making his wife stay behind, but the violet-haired woman didn't seem so eager to do so. Hakkai had introduced them as Yaone and Kougaiji, and Gojyo found out they just had a baby girl a few months back. It was the first (and probably last) child born within the Rebellion. Gojyo had not personally met them, but Hakkai had told him all about the pair. It seemed as though Kougaiji was their spy for Capital City. Since he wasn't a big fugitive yet, he could slip in and out without being noticed, and was able to get more information on what was going on.

Even though Gojyo knew this was simply a mission of retreating supplies, it felt like they were heading out to war.

"Bored yet?" whispered a voice. Gojyo's attention snapped to the side as Hakkai fell into the spot next to him, leaning back against the hill and closing his eyes with a sigh of content.

Gojyo smiled. "Not yet," he replied, turning back to looking out over the Rebellion members. There was twenty-five at most. Hakkai had once told him that the Rebellion's strength didn't lie in its numbers, but the spirit of its people. Gojyo thought that was a load of crap but had smiled and nodded anyway. "It's… kind of exciting, isn't it?"

Hakkai chuckled softly. "Yes, it is. I expect it shall be even more exciting when all this begins." There was something about the man's tone that made Gojyo cock a brow. It seemed as though he was expecting tragedy. Frowning softly, he turned his focus back on Kougaiji and Yaone, who were still arguing in hushed voices.

"Where the hell are Homura and those guys?" Gojyo snapped finally, glancing over his shoulder as if expecting the man to be standing right there. "It's almost sundown."

Hakkai chuckled, as though amused at Gojyo's impatience. "They'll be here. They always are," cracking his eyes open, he turned to look up at the red sky.

Gojyo turned to look up at the sky, marveling at the oranges, reds, and yellows that swam overhead, mixing together but not completely. Like a half-blended smoothie. Gojyo smiled, falling back into the soft grass beneath him, closing his eyes. "'Kai… I've got some questions."

"Feel free to ask."

Gojyo frowned softly. "How long has the Rebellion been against the Order?"

Hakkai frowned softly. "That's a difficult question, Gojyo," he muttered softly. "I believe that it's been about forty-five years now. After the last Eclipse, the world had been thrown into chaos. That was when the Order stepped in, and constricted everyone. It was dictated so badly that anyone that was considered a threat was killed. Luckily over time good people stepped up to correct this and the Order's stranglehold loosened. But as the years have passed it's begun to tighten again. It was about two years ago when the Rebellion fully formed, and was considered a threat." Hakkai trailed off, his eyes clouded with thought. "That was when the Order found out about a terrifying demon that ripped through the land. Capital City had been tearing down trees and accidentally upset it. It ripped through people, trying to satisfy its bloodlust. I don't know how many people fell to that… creature.

"That was back when I worked within the Order, under a man named Genjyo Sanzo, one of the best Hunters around. When so many Hunters began to fall to this creature, Sanzo and I were called out to stop it. It took several months before we were finally able to capture it, then several more before we could keep it contained. But in the process of finding this creature the Order burnt down forests, rendering hundreds of creatures homeless, destroyed villages, ripped up everything in order to find where it was hiding. So many died and so many more lost their homes in order to find it. It just… made me sick," Hakkai added quietly, his eyes clouded. "So I left and joined the Rebellion just as it was forming. The people who had lost loved ones and homes to the Order wanted their revenge. The Order is messing up the order of the world. Humans are slowly taking over and the other races have had to shrink back because they're slowly dying. I fear what will become of everything else that lives in this world."

"Deep." Gojyo muttered, turning his gaze back up towards the sky, eyes clouded with thought. Finally, after a long moment of silence, he muttered, "If you've been against them for so long, then why haven't you... uh… you know, gone to war or something?"

Hakkai sighed through his nose. "You can blame that on Sanzo." Gojyo turned to him, quirking a brow in question. "That man doesn't want to kill us unnecessarily. Says it has something to do with too much paperwork. He's decided that no one should be killed; only arrested." He smiled softly. "He's a good person, even though he does have his own problems."

Gojyo laughed softly. "Sounds like an asshole to me." Closing his eyes, he waited. After a moment he opened them again, giving an ungraceful yell and jump when he spotted two mismatched eyes staring down at him. Jumping up, he gripped his shirt just as Homura began to laugh. "You bastard!" Gojyo cried, trying to catch his breath. "Are you trying to kill me?"

The man waved a hand in front of his face dismissively. "Now, now, there wouldn't be any need for that," he chuckled again at the dark look Gojyo shot him, before turning to face Hakkai, who was looking up at him lazily. "Shall we begin then?"

"I was enjoying myself, you do know," Hakkai pointed out.

Homura smirked. "I realize that, but if we put it off any longer then I'm afraid the Eclipse might pass and we wouldn't have done anything."

Hakkai sighed, pulling himself to his feet. Glancing around he found every eye in the area was on them. Nothing but determination, pride, anxiety, and excitement lit each face as they all looked upon him for guidance. Hakkai just smiled, clapping his hands together.

"Well everyone, it's time we deal with these Order members, ne?"

---

It was silent. Nobody wanted to speak, as though if they did they'd set the entire battle into motion. Sanzo watched, mildly interested as the Rebellion headed towards them. Not one Order member moved. They wouldn't until his order had been given. Sanzo took a deep drag from his cigarette, before releasing the smoke and allowing it to calm his nerves. Behind him, the large iron gates held in the storage area. Nothing was getting in there that easily. His gaze moved back to the small group of men and women heading towards them. There couldn't be any more then thirty, and behind him stood at least one hundred Order members. The Rebellion didn't stand a chance, so why the hell were they here?

_Pride, _Sanzo thought, gritting his teeth as Hakkai's face came into view. The brunet's eyes were trained on him, though he was whispering to a young redhead. _It's their goddamn mother-fucking pride._

Hakkai held his hand out, and everyone came to a halt not far from where the Order members stood. Hakkai's lips were set in a firm line as his green eyes flickered over Sanzo's uniformed form, before they moved up to his face. That was when his polite smile slipped back onto his lips. "Well Sanzo," he said loudly. "It certainly has been a while."

"Shut up and get to the point," Sanzo snapped back naturally.

Hakkai smiled, turning his eyes down to his hands. "Well, I'd appreciate it if you moved, and allowed us to take this supply tank."

"Not a fucking chance," the man replied, taking another drag from his cigarette.

Hakkai smiled, closing his eyes. "So it's really going to come down to this…?" he whispered, almost inaudible, though it seemed Sanzo heard.

Sanzo took one final drag, before flicking the butt to the ground and grinding it out with his boot. "Hell Hakkai," he muttered back, allowing the smoke to drift from his mouth. "It's always been down to this."

Before any more words could be exchanged, one of the Order members began screaming. Sanzo's eyes snapped over as he began screaming and shrieking, watching as his own arms grabbed his sword, pulling it out before pointing it to his chest. Sanzo could only watch, morbidly fascinated as he began to sob. "I can't stop myself! What's going on! What's—" Without a second's hesitation, the man ran himself through, and fell to the ground.

The men were uneasy now, but would not move without Sanzo's order. The Rebels looked smug, grinning at each other as their trump card began to reveal itself. Sanzo grit his teeth, scanning the crowd before settling on a pair of mismatched eyes. "Homura…" he grit out, curious as to why Homura was working with the Rebellion. What did they have that he would want? Homura only offered him a smile, closing his eyes as his fingers began to move again. A resonating snap and the Order members erupted in chaos.

"They've joined the side of monsters!" one of them screamed. "Kill them!"

Sanzo couldn't control the men as swords were drawn and suddenly everyone was running out into battle. Sanzo cursed softly, watching as swords clashed, weapons collided and guns were fired. Cursing, Sanzo produced his revolver, glaring down the men around him. _Please Sanzo, don't kill anyone, _Sanzo brushed Kougaiji's voice from his mind as he cocked the hammer back and shot the closest man to him.

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched a young man with turquoise bangs slash his whips out, cutting down several Order members. Shien, as Sanzo knew him. He was one of Homura's accomplices, and deadly as hell. He used whips of pure energy. Even if you were nicked it felt like it was burning you from the inside out. He never opened his eyes—he saw no point, being blind—and with his eyes blocked off he could read people's minds. Sanzo had learned that the hard way. In battle, he used that to his advantage as he was not only able to see his surroundings through the eyes of others, but he could kill a person before they even know what move they were going to make.

Sanzo jumped back to avoid the strike of a sword. Slamming his legs out of the young man in front of him, he allowed him to fall ungracefully to the ground in front of him. Aiming his revolver at his head, Sanzo changed his mind last minute and slammed the butt of his gun against the man's head, knocking him out. Turning, Sanzo could just catch sight of Homura's redheaded accomplice, readying his machine gun and open firing. Zenon was ruthless when it came to his opponents. He was also almost impossible to kill. He had a super healing rate and an amazing endurance. It would take a fatal shot to kill him or else he could continue on forever.

And then there was Homura, Sanzo thought as his eyes turned to rest on the puppet master. Homura caught his eyes again and smiled. Sanzo growled, and they headed towards each other, a silent invitation to battle.

---

"Phew," Goku took a minute to catch his breath, as he turned back to look at the window he'd escaped from. It had taken a while, but Goku finally managed to distract Sparky long enough for him to slip out. He doubted that the teapot could climb out the window, so he figured he was safe. Turning, Goku began running to the eastern side of the city. He could tell the fighting wasn't far off, as the resonating gunshots and cries were not that distant. The fighting had already begun, and Goku wondered if Sanzo was okay.

He hurried to the scene, peeking around a corner to find the entire area alive with battle. People were already dead in the streets, and it worried Goku. Was Sanzo lying face down somewhere in his own blood? His heart caught, guilt and dread practically strangling him. He prayed Sanzo was all right, after all, he did call him a fucking bastard before he left. He didn't want that to be the last thing he said to the blond.

He headed out a little further, reluctant to enter the battle and yet afraid to stay behind. Slowly, he took a step forwards, then another, then paused when he caught a flash of gold.

It was Sanzo. He was only twenty feet away, and battling the ebony-haired man Goku recognized as Homura. Sanzo didn't have a speck of blood on him that could be considered his own, and he was battling flawlessly. Shooting, flipping, dodging, countering. Goku could only stare, caught in awe before he smiled. _Wow…_ was his only coherent thought. _He's totally awesome! _

Goku watched the blond flip and turn, his battle a graceful dance and his partner never missing a beat. Goku smiled, before someone rammed into him and he stumbled. Turning, he suddenly realized he was standing dumbstruck in the middle of a battle field. But as he turned to face his attacker he found himself caught in a crimson gaze.

"Gojyo?!"

"Goku?!"

The two friends stared at each other for a moment, before the elder grasped the brunet into a bone-crunching hug. "My god you're alive!" he cried out, laughing loudly in relief.

Goku laughed as well. "Me? I thought you were dead." Hey pulled away and both could not stop the grins that spread across their faces. "You would not believe the things I've seen," Goku said excitedly, suddenly wanting to tell Gojyo all about the weird things this world contained.

"And you wouldn't believe the things _I've_ seen!" Gojyo replied loudly, before grabbing the brunet by the arm and dragging them both into an alley, out of harm's way. Checking to make sure they were safe, he turned back to him. "Goku, you have to come back with us. The Rebellion is great, and the people there are even better. I can set you up. I bet you're starving."

Goku shook his head. "No. I'm with Sanzo; I'm doing all right actually."

Gojyo's eyes suddenly lost their excited appeal, and began to darken with question. "Goku… you're with the Order?"

Goku nodded. "Yes." His voice did not waver, nor did he hesitate.

Suddenly, a voice called out to them, causing Gojyo to flip around. It was Hakkai, and he was carrying an unconscious Kougaiji over his shoulder. "Gojyo!" he cried again. "C'mon, we have to retreat!"

Gojyo frowned, turning back to Goku one last time. "Please Goku, come with us."

"Goku!" Sanzo's voice suddenly called out from behind him, and he could hear the quickening of footsteps to follow.

Goku smiled softly, closing his eyes. He knew he was going to be in trouble. "No… I'm sorry Gojyo," Goku whispered, opening his eyes again. "I've chosen my path, and I'm not going to waver on it."

Gojyo paused a moment, before he grinned broadly. "Yeah, I'm sticking to my path too. Friends?" he held up his hand, and Goku grinned.

"Always."

The pair high-fived before Gojyo turned and was gone. Goku smiled, watching his friend disappear completely from sight before turning back to Sanzo, preparing for the yelling and the cuffs that were to come.

But he could live with the abuse. Gojyo was alive and well, and just to know that was worth whatever punishment Sanzo was going to dish out.

---

The fighting outside had finally begun to cease, as Homura headed down the small hallway, glancing from door to door expectantly. It had been tough, but somehow he'd managed to slip away from Sanzo during the midst of their fight when something far more interesting caught the man's eye. Homura was more then happy to let the man do as he pleased; it gave him time to finally get what he came for.

He finally reached the end of the hall, looking at the door that was covered with age-old seals, and a lock that looked extremely heavy to move. Seiten Taisei's room. Just beyond the door lived a beast so fearful it could destroy the world and everything in it by the time the Eclipse ended.

Homura smiled in anticipation. How he'd waited for this. For a chance to release the deadly creature and claim the land for himself. Slowly, he reached out towards the door, his hand shaking in anticipation. But just as his hand began to draw close, sparks erupted from the door, causing him to grimace and pull back. Homura glared at the door for a moment, before turning back to his burnt hand. Damnit. The seals were too powerful. He needed a seal master to open it. Which meant he needed a human. Nothing else would be able to get close to it.

Fuck, Homura thought bitterly as he glared at the door, as though searching for a crack, or a way in. Nothing. He could hear Sanzo and the brunet arriving back. He listened for a moment as the boy cried out apologizes for something Homura didn't know. Each bout of whining was interrupted from a strict, "Shut the hell up" delivered by Sanzo. Homura gave the door one last scowl, before turning and disappearing from the small house.

* * *

**A/N: **This is one of my favorite chapters simply because of Gojyo and Goku's interaction. And Sparky was fun too. xD I decided to update quicker then normal because I've prewritten far too many chapters and I don't want to get ahead of myself. But, I hope you all enjoy this anyway, and as always, leave your thoughts.

C&C appreciated.


	7. Chapter Six: Pendulum

**Reflection **

**Chapter Six: Pendulum**

Gojyo pushed through the crowds of people, hearing his heart thundering in his ears as he approached Hakkai. The man was kneeling over the fallen form of Kougaiji, his chi concentrated into a ball of healing energy and working on knitting the man's flesh back together. Yaone at his side, sobbing hysterically. A crowd of people had assembled around the group, taking in the injured and the dead. Gojyo grimaced as the thought crossed his mind. Fourteen dead. Eight injured. They hadn't even been able to get a fucking pear before they were driven back by the Order's forces.

Gojyo thought, he prayed, that with Homura on their side, they would've been able to win. But despite how many Homura, Zenon, and Shien killed, more Order members were called in. Hakkai had called them back after he realized it was becoming nothing more then a useless slaughter. Gojyo thought it wise of him. Shien and Zenon had held the Order members back as they made their escape. Homura had disappeared.

Fourteen _fucking_ dead. Gojyo felt somewhat guilty, for reasons he didn't understand. Maybe it was because he came out completely unscathed.

Hakkai finished, leaning back on his heels as the paramedics moved in to take care of the rest. Yaone was hysterical, following after her husband, before seeking condolences from a nearby woman. Gojyo quickly moved in, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. Hakkai started at the contact, but smiled warmly when he realized who it was. Gojyo could see the fatigue wearing away at him. "You should lie down," he told him softly. "That must've taken a lot."

"It's fine," Hakkai assured him quietly. "I have to help prepare the dead. Funerals will be in order."

"Hazel!" screamed a young woman voice from somewhere near the dead. "Hazel! Get away from them!"

Hakkai sighed, pulling himself to his feet. "Not this again," he breathed, before heading off to attend to the matter. Gojyo could only blink, following after helplessly.

Next to the bodies was a young boy with striking blue hair and eyes. He looked young, possibly only about fourteen. In his gloved hands he held a strange pendulum that was glowing, and he stood over the body of an older man. "I can help!" The boy—Hazel—assured, his eyes closed in concentration. "Just let me resurrect these people!"

Hakkai's lips were set in a firm line as he swiftly crossed over two bodies and smacked the boy clear across the face.

Gojyo was slightly surprised at Hakkai's roughness. He had never seen the man raise a hand to anyone. Gojyo could tell with just one glance that the young brunet was angry beyond belief. But over what? He turned to focus back on Hazel, finding the boy staring up at Hakkai, nostrils flaring out in anger. Neither of them moved, glaring at each other as the pendent around Hazel's neck stopped glowing.

"You will _never_ use this technique, _ever,_ do you understand me?" Hakkai's voice was quiet, yet insistent with a tone that meant suicide to say otherwise. His hands fisted and Gojyo continued to wonder what could have gotten the man so mad. His eyes turned to focus back on Hazel, watching as he clenched and unclenched his fist. "The cycle of life goes one way; I thought we discussed this, Hazel!"

"I was trying to help!" he screamed, before turning and running through the crowd of people. No one turned to follow him.

Gojyo stepped up to Hakkai, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "What the hell was that about?"

Hakkai seemed a little too annoyed, and brushed his hand off, turning towards the dead again. "I'll deal with things here, Gojyo; just go back to the tent."

Gojyo frowned a little at the cold shoulder, but simply shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets and heading back towards the tent. His path diverged, however, when he spotted Hazel a few yards away, seated behind a tent and swiping angrily at tears. Grinning, Gojyo decided the kid needed cheering up, and headed towards him. Stopping in front of him, he waited until Hazel looked up before cracking a grin. "Mind if I sit here?" he asked.

The boy looked away, frowning deeply. "As long as you don't start lecturing me."

"I won't," Gojyo assured as he fell back to sit next to the boy. He then extended his hand. "Name's Gojyo."

"Hazel," the boy replied, shaking his hand before turning down to stare at the grass, picking at it every once in a while.

Gojyo sighed, realizing the responsibility of starting a conversation was up to him. "So, Hazel, what's with the shiny pendent?"

Hazel looked up at him, blue eyes slightly distrusting. "Don't you already know?"

"Let's just say I'm new," he said, watching as the boy fiddled with the odd pendent that looked three sizes too big.

"It's… a special tool used by Necromancers to resurrect the dead. I was trying to bring those people back to life, but nobody likes it when I resurrect people. They say it's not natural and stuff. And things always go wrong when I resurrect people. Especially Hakkai. He hates me," Hazel mumbled, his eyes trailing back over to take in Gojyo's reaction.

Gojyo blinked. Then he blinked again. He was stunned by what the boy could do, but as his latter comment settled in, he sighed softly. "Hakkai doesn't hate you, kid. He's just upset, since he's probably thinking about the friend he lost whenever you try and resurrect someone."

Hazel snorted, pulling his legs closer to his chest. "Great General Kenren. Ch', I bet you don't even know what happened that led Hakkai here."

Gojyo's brows creased. "Of course I do. He realized the Order was being cruel and unfair, and left."

Hazel laughed sourly. "You only know half the story. Tell me; if Hakkai was thinking correctly, wouldn't he profit the Rebellion better if he was inside the Order? Learning all the deep dark secrets not even Kougaiji could uncover?"

Gojyo opened his mouth to retort, but found he had nothing he could add.

Hazel's eyes narrowed. "That's because he didn't leave the Order. Only after two months of joining the Rebellion, he and Kenren were caught, and driven out. Because, after all, the Order forbids close-knit relationships within its members."

Gojyo's brows furred in confusion. "Close-knit relationships?"

Hazel smirked softly. "Oh, don't you know? Kenren and Hakkai were lovers before Kenren was killed."

Gojyo could only stare, feeling the biting rage of jealousy eating away at his heart almost instantly. He wondered, for a moment, where it had come from. Was it possibly anger at the boy for bad talking Hakkai? No, that wasn't it. Perhaps it was simply annoyance at the Order? Not that either. Gojyo found it absolutely unsettling as to why he couldn't fathom why jealousy would be clutching so tightly at his chest just because he learned Hakkai had a previous relationship with a man who looked just like him.

Hazel only smiled softly, rising to his feet. "Maybe you're just a replacement for Kenren," he muttered, loud enough for Gojyo to hear, before dashing off.

Gojyo hadn't even been able to ask what he meant by that.

---

Dinner had been a silent affair. Sanzo was apparently dealing with a lot of difficult things at the Order, and had paperwork a mile high, or so he claimed. It seemed as though the entire day Goku was left to entertain himself, which wasn't that hard but still an ordeal of a task. He'd opted for playing with Sparky for a few hours, before it seemed the teapot would never grow tired of an exasperating game of fetch. After finally detaching the pot from his side, he went to the living room in an attempt to find something to entertain himself.

After several minutes, he'd accidentally tripped on a book, before bending down to pick it up. It was a simple leather-bound book with no title or caption. Frowning, Goku cracked open the book, starting at what he found. It was Sanzo's journal! Probably from several years ago, as all the pages were crinkled and looked fairly old. Goku's eyes bulged out of the side of his head as he began to read.

_March Second, _

_I don't know what I'm doing, really. I've never really experimented with writing any of my thoughts down, but so much has happened in the last few weeks that I've found I have to write it down somewhere. It seems like only yesterday I was staring down the lifeless body of my—_

Goku snapped the book shut, hiding it behind his back as Sanzo stuck his head in. Grinning sheepishly, Sanzo only rolled his eyes before muttering, "Dinner's ready."

Really, Goku knew he should return the journal, but the idea of reading Sanzo's innermost thoughts was too tempting to give up. His eyes trailed after the blond as the man collected the dishes, moving to clean them. "Do you need any help?" he chirped, rising to Sanzo's side in an instant.

Sanzo shook his head at the young man. "Here, you can dry," he said simply, shoving a towel in his direction before turning back to filling the sink with water.

They washed the dishes in silence; the clinking of the plates was the only thing that filled the silent house. Goku reached for another plate to dry, before a sly grin caught his lips. Turning to face the man, he noticed the solemn look on his face. It looked like he was attending a funeral for Christ's sake! Reaching down into the water, he splashed Sanzo, grinning with mirth. "You're it," he said simply, watching as Sanzo's expression changed from surprised, to annoyed, to angry. The next second, Goku found himself soaked with water, and turned towards Sanzo's violet pools which were shining with amusement.

"Don't fuck around, monkey boy." He said in a tone that argued no-nonsense. His eyes however, twinkled and Goku could only grin.

"Since when the hell am I a monkey?" he shouted back, grabbing a handful of water to splash the Hunter. Sanzo replied with a growl, and before he knew it they were soaked with dishwater, and the entire kitchen floor had a thin layer of soapy water covering it. It was only when Goku attacked with the soapy cloth did Sanzo decide to strike back with a nearby spatula.

Goku could only laugh loudly, running towards the living room to avoid the attack. His foot slipped on the soapy water suddenly, and he fell back. Excepting to meet the hard but wet ground beneath him; he was surprised when he fell straight into a pair of open arms. Blinking, he could only stare at the blond before him, taking in the comfort of the man's chest, the odd security of arms holding him up. Goku's golden eyes flickered sheepishly up towards the blond's face, taking in his unreadable expression. Goku only grinned. "Thanks," he said softly.

Sanzo snorted softly. "Ch'," was his reply, before dumping the boy on the kitchen floor and stalking off to get changed.

---

Gojyo had only been with the Rebellion for about a week, and already he could feel the effects it was having on his stomach. He'd lost quite a bit of weight; more then dieting and exercising could have done on his side of the mirror. He had also built a lot of muscle thanks to the training with his Shakujou. Often he could only grin as his sexy body became sexier.

That evening, after Gojyo and Hakkai had enjoyed the small meal that had been prepared for them; the pair had retired to bed. Gojyo had set up a cot in the opposite corner of Hakkai's tent, as the man explained that they didn't have a spare tent for him to use. Gojyo didn't mind, but somehow felt a little unnerved as he watched the man sit at his desk, clearly enthralled with something. Gojyo pressed his lips together, and spoke without thinking.

"Why didn't you tell me about Kenren?"

This caused a quirk of Hakkai's brow as he turned to face him. "I did tell you," Hakkai replied softly, eyes radiating concern and compassion.

"Not everything," Gojyo muttered, his voice tinged with a hint of bitterness.

Recognizing what he meant, Hakkai let out a soft sigh, turning to face him completely. "So you know Kenren and I were lovers," he commented softly.

Another spark of jealousy ignited. "Yeah," Gojyo muttered. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

Hakkai sighed again, running a hand through his hair. "Most people are uncomfortable with the fact that I had… relations with another man," he admitted, almost embarrassingly.

Gojyo frowned softly. "What happened? Everything."

Hakkai leaned back in his chair, frowning. "After the incidents with the monster I told you about, Seiten Taisei, Kenren and I became very close. Kenren was who initially introduced me to the Rebellion. It turned out he was a spy, working for them from the inside. But, after we were found out, we fled, heading towards the Rebellion as a safe haven. We secured ourselves there, and became high members fast, for we were both far more knowledgeable when it came to militia strategies and such. But, it was one day when we were out, scouting for a new campsite when we were attacked.

"The men we brought with us were killed, and Kenren was badly injured. I was left alive. But, while I was carrying him back, Kenren died," Hakkai paused, his eyes glazed over with a faraway look. "But, I was in shock, and I didn't tell anyone. I told them all that Kenren was captured, and that he was still alive somewhere. Everyone believed me."

Gojyo's eyes widened a fraction, before he turned to look down at the dirty floor. "So that's why…"

"That's why you were accepted so quickly," Hakkai muttered. "I'm sorry."

Gojyo forced a small laugh on the brunet's part. "For what? It's not your fault Kenren was killed," the redhead trailed off, his lips pressed firmly together. "Hakkai? Who… attacked you?"

The brunet gnawed on the inside of his lip for a moment, before closing his eyes. "Order members," he mumbled, almost as though the words physically hurt him.

"I'm sorry," Gojyo mumbled. He truly was, yet at the same time he did not regret knowing. He was glad he knew. The more he learned about this weird world, the more familiar with it he became. Becoming familiar with it was a very good thing.

Gojyo smiled warmly. "Well Hakkai, I'm feeling tired, and I'm sure you're sick of the questions, so I'm going to hit the hay."

Hakkai smiled softly. "Sweet dreams, Gojyo."

The redhead fell back into the hard pillow, grinning. "Yeah, and all that junk to you too, 'Kai."

---

"_KENREN!" he watched the body of his lover fall, blood spilling out over the sand like a thick, suffocating river. It was leaking out fast, too fast to even think about stopping. Despite himself, he ran to the man's side, attempting to heal wounds as best he could. Hatred and betray swam inside him as he turned to look at the emotionless blond who had attacked him. Already his hands were cloaked in blood but he could not bring himself to care. _

"_Sanzo!" he screamed, staring at the last Order member left. Sanzo just smiled, wiping the blood on his uniform. "How could you do this? How could you hurt Kenren like this?! I thought he was your friend!" _

_A deep, shuddering laughter ripped through the blond's throat, echoing out through the desolate desert where no one would hear. "Friend? I befriend no one," Sanzo replied coldly, glaring him down and cocking his head to the side. 'How does it feel, Hakkai? How does it feel to have your lover's blood all over your hands?"_

_Hakkai's eyes narrowed, attempting to ignore the feeling of the warm liquid cloaking his hands. "You're not Sanzo," he hissed, eyes darkening. "Sanzo is a good man! How dare you scorn his name like this?" _

_The man continued to laugh, before in one fluid movement, he transformed into a raven. Giving out an echoing cry, it flew up into the sun, disappearing out in the endless sky. _

_Hakkai turned his attention back down to his lover, allowing panic to settle in as his healing did little more then spread the blood around. He could feel the tears dripping off his chin but could not bring himself to care. "Kenren!" he cried again, sobbing. "Please Kenren don't die!" _

"Hakkai!"

---

Hakkai's jade eyes snapped open, his lungs heaving deeply as his eyes scouted out the form in the darkness. Sweat pasted his hair to his skin and made his clothes feel achingly tight against him. The darkness slowly fading from his vision, he caught a pair of crimson eyes staring at him through the shadows, hands clamped tightly around his shoulders. At first he thought it was his phantom lover, coming back to him, but he suddenly recognized the man as Gojyo, not Kenren.

He wondered what had happened. Where was he? Did he die? Why was he reliving that day? Was it all just a dream?

Gojyo seemed to release a breath of air. He leaned back, but did not yet break contact. "Thank god," he whispered. "You were having a nightmare, thrashing around and shit. You looked like you were in a lot of pain." He paused, "You all right?"

Hakkai sat up, wiping the sweat from his brow and wondering absentmindedly where his glasses wound up. "Y-Yes, I'll be all right." But when Gojyo pulled away from him, Hakkai experienced a bit of frightening loneliness, and clasped onto the man's wrist. Gojyo turned back to him, shooting him a questionable look through the darkness, silently demanding answers. Hakkai wished he had those answers. "Please, stay with me a bit longer."

Gojyo looked back towards his bed, which only sat at most six feet away. Deciding to say nothing, he sat back on the bed, pulling the brunet into a hug. Hakkai had been slightly surprised at the comforting contact, but nonetheless wrapped his arms around the redhead, and fell into the embrace.

* * *

**A/N: **Bit of a GojyoHakkai oriented chapter, but that's okay, they need their love too. Anyway, some of you probably noticed that I made Hazel younger here then in the manga/anime. That's only because if he was an adult, he'd be all the more difficult to mess with. So I hope you don't mind the age change on him here. 

I promise there will be more plot later. Please bear with me.

C&C appreciated.


	8. Chapter Seven: Sun Kissed

**Reflection **

**Chapter Seven: Sun Kissed**

A long, long time ago, the Earth was bare. Before the world had come to be, there was nothing. But one day, the Sky and the Earth met, and the Earth gave birth to the Sun Goddess. She was born in the air, and after she was born she began to fall. She fell all the way, and crashed onto the Earth. She was knocked unconscious for a long time, and while she was unconscious, her golden hair spread out over the ground, giving light and life to the soil, and plants began to grow.

When the Sun Goddess awoke, she was surrounded by flowers. It was the Earth's way of thanking her for life. The Goddess smile and said, "They are so beautiful, but I wish I had other to share them with." And so the Goddess decided to create animals and humans.

After eight days, the entire planet was full of different type of animals and plants, and the Goddess couldn't have been happier. But that was when a snake came to her, and in distress, said, "Dear Goddess, I wish to have legs like a man, therefore I may be happier with myself."

And the Goddess replied, "But dear snake, I created you to be this way. You should be happy and thankful."

The snake frowned, and said, "Do you not love me, Goddess?"

"Of course I love you," the Goddess replied.

"Then should you not be able to grant me a simple request?" the snake asked her.

The Sun Goddess smiled and said, "I am sorry, dear snake. I shall try to make you into a human." But the Goddess was tired and her concentration wavered. The snake grew arms and legs, and the body of a man, but as soon as he stood upright, he felt sick, and threw up.

He threw up the bodies of monsters, and demons and the Goddess looked away in disgust. She could not bear to look at the creatures she accidentally gave life to. "But I created you, and I still love you," the Goddess had said.

The Goddess however, lived with the human race for many years. The monsters and demons grew jealous, as they wished that the Goddess would shine her light down upon them more often. So, they banded together, and chose one of them to seek out and kill the Goddess for her treachery. They chose a young demon by the name of Aeirco.

Aeirco swore he would kill the Goddess, and set out to find her. But when he came across her bathing naked in a lake, he immediately asked for forgiveness and made her his wife.

The Sun Goddess and Aeirco were deeply in love, and lived with the humans. But the humans did not like Aeirco, and said he was stealing too much of the Goddess's love. That summer the Sun Goddess gave birth to a son, and they named him Ark, and the Goddess loved him very much.

It was then the humans decided that they had to kill the Goddess's husband and child. They had managed to kill Aeirco, but when the Goddess found them over her child she screamed, "Stop this! What has become of my children?"

The humans explained that they did not like the demons tainting the Goddess, and said they were only doing it for her own good. The Sun Goddess scooped Ark into her arms, and explained how the humans were no better then the monsters who had tried to kill her in the first place.

"I shall ascend to the Heavens with my son, and I shall not return to Earth until you see through the eyes of mine, and live in harmony with each other," the Goddess told them.

"But what of your light?" the humans cried. "We cannot live without your light."

"I shall forever shine my light down upon my children, but you shall not be graced with my presence until peace has come between the two races," she explained, before the Goddess and her son were gone. And in the sky were two bright golden suns, the larger, they realized, was the Sun Goddess, and the other, was her son Ark.

And the humans wept at the loss of their beautiful Goddess, and the demons too, wept in sorrow, for they missed the presence of the Goddess.

And it is said that every fifty years, the Goddess turns her eyes away from her children, when she can no longer stand the prejudice and the hatred seen there. And then the suns disappear from the sky and the world suffers in darkness.

_-- Book of Serin. Passage Sixteen. The Sun Goddess. _

---

Goku had crawled into his room late that night, falling under the covers with a sigh of content. Sanzo had told him he could use the spare room down the hall, instead of having to sleep on the uncomfortable couch. Goku had grinned, snuggling beneath the covers with a snicker. This room was so big and the bed was so comfy. It was better then his old bed, that was for sure.

But he had work to do, Goku thought as he rummaged under the pillow for the journal he'd picked up earlier that day. Lighting a nearby candle, he sat back on the mattress, looking the leather bound book over. It couldn't hurt, could it? Was this violating Sanzo's privacy?

His curiosity overwhelmed his sense of morality, and he cracked open the book, flipping to the first page.

---

_March Second _

_I don't know what I'm doing, really. I've never really experimented with writing any of my thoughts down, but so much has happened in the last few weeks that I've found I have to write it down somewhere. It seems like only yesterday I was staring down the lifeless body of my master lying face down in his own blood. I don't know what happened, really. First we were just… standing there, and he was talking about how one day I was going to become a great Hunter, just like him. Then the next second he was just… bleeding everywhere. A demon or something attacked. I've never felt so pathetic or useless in my entire life. _

_How the hell was I supposed to become a great Hunter when I couldn't even defend my own master from a simple demon attack? _

_The days past slowly and I was drowning in my own sorrow. I think that's when the Bus showed up. _

_There was a happy man inside—Karl—and he just grinned at me and told me to get on. I don't know why I did. I took a seat; there was no one else on the bus. The man told me I was unlucky, because he had to take me to the other side of the mirror. I didn't care where he took me, I had to get away. _

_The world I ended up in was so unlike my own. Tall, overpowering building that shone like crystal in the daylight, people everywhere, and not a demon in sight. The entire place was dirty and dingy, and there were no trees or forests anywhere. The weirdest part was, there was only one sun. I don't know how I ended up there, but it was amazing. I should have wanted to go home. I should have feared this strange new world, but I didn't. _

_I was free. _

_Free from responsibilities, free from the weight of my master's death. Free from everything. I relished in that feeling, and enjoyed the first day as much as I could. But it was when the world's sun set that fear settled in. Darkness crept in from every corner. I had never seen true darkness, and I was terribly frightened. _

_People disappeared from the streets, and the world had gone silent. I was left alone; in this world I thought was a dream come true. I stumbled into the nearest establishment, which was essentially a bar, but slightly different from the ones I was used to. I decided I needed to get home. Someone had to know how I could get home. I asked people about Capital City, if they knew how I could get there. I heard the same response each time, "Capital City USA? Is that a city? Never heard of it." _

_It was when I fell into a booth, shaking that a man slid in beside me. He had bright blond hair like mine, though his eyes were a deep charcoal color. He smiled at me. "Hey stranger," he said. "Looking for the bus?"_

_The bus? The bus?! This man must've known what I was looking for. "Yes," I replied. "How do I find it?" _

"_Sorry kid," he replied. I frowned. He could've only been at least four or five years older then me, certainly not old enough to call me a 'kid.' "But the bus only comes when you pay your fee. I've ridden it a few times, unfortunately," he paused, playing with his beer. "What's your name?"_

"_Sanzo," I had replied. _

"_Mm," the man mumbled. "Name's Dominic. Which world are you from, Sanzo?" _

_I frowned softly. "Karl said my world was called… the Mirror." _

"_The Mirror?" Dominic's brows rose and his tone seemed surprised. "That's interesting. I've heard about the mirror, it's supposed to be the reflection of this world, can't say I've been there. I've only ever been to the Dream world, and through the Veil. Interesting places," he chuckled. "I'll tell yah though, never go through the Veil and expect to have a good time. Last time I went, I thought for sure that the Northern Dragon was going to kill me. I stole one of her eggs when I was twelve, and it seems she never forgave me." He cracked a grin. "But that's a long story. I'll buy you a beer." _

_I held my head. I could feel a pounding headache setting in, but for some reason, I didn't want this man to leave. It was comforting to know someone who understood my problem. "Do you have whiskey?" _

_Dominic paused. "Sure. Straight?" _

"_It's the only way to go," I replied, without a hint of a smile. _

_For the rest of the night, Dominic and I switched stories about our trips on the bus. He told me all about the Veil, and the Dream World, and I told him about home. I told him about my life, and he even told me about this side of the mirror that I'd wound up in. I got through my first night ever drunk off my ass. I don't think I'd have it any other way. _

_March Seventh_

_I don't think I can explain how amazing this world is. Dominic has shown me things I can't even imagine. Things that wouldn't exist in my world. I just wish that I could bring him through the mirror, and show him things that would leave him breathless. Maybe I'd just like to gloat like how he's gloating now. I don't know. _

_Trains and hotdogs, forks and cats that don't talk. This world is so strange, so fascinating. I can't get enough of it. Dominic's great, as well, as loathe as I am to admit it. I'm starting to think I could live here, in this world. Because without demons, without monsters or creatures of the like, it seems this world has come to know peace. I wish my world knew this kind of peace, then maybe my master wouldn't have died. _

_Even the dark doesn't bother me as much as it used to. I've gotten over most of my fear, though I don't think I'll ever get over it completely. I still sleep with the light in Dominic's living room on. I just don't think I'd be able to sleep with them off. _

_This world is amazing. I want to learn more. _

_March twenty-fourth. _

_This is a nightmare. _

_Nothing's changed since I watched my master die before my very eyes only a few months ago. And now it's happened all over again. I don't know what happened, or why, all I knew was that he was bleeding. On the ground. Right in front of me. And there was not a damn thing I could do about it. _

_We had been heading down the street, huge metal cars whizzing past us, the city alive with life. Dominic turned towards a small little store, and told me to wait outside. "It'll only take a minute," he assured me, before he headed inside. _

_It was only ten minutes later that a shot sounded out. _

_I used a gun my entire life, and I knew the sound better then anything. Frantic, I hurried inside, ducking down next to a table when a shot sounded past my ears. A man lay dead in the middle of the floor; several more were behind a bar. I spotted Dominic cursing behind a desk. His eyes caught mine, and he frowned at me, telling me what I already knew; I should have stayed outside. _

_I slid out towards the dead man, grabbing his gun and pulling it to me. I pulled it up, fired once, before ducking back under the table. I didn't hit anything. Dominic fired several more shots, but nothing connected. Shots went back and forth for a while, until Dominic nailed one of them. I grinned, feeling on top of the world. I hadn't realized how much I missed this exhilarating experience. I missed feeling the cold metal in my hands. _

_That was when sirens were going, and people were running. Dominic stood, and told me to come with him. We raced towards the back door, when a gunshot sounded, and Dominic fell. _

_Everything was a blur. People in blue uniforms came in, that reminded me of the Order members back home. Dominic and I were taken back to a weird building, and I had to give him up to the weird men I was sure would help him. I was covered in blood, and it was not a good feeling. It felt like years until finally one of the men came back to me, bent down in front of me, and told me Dominic had died. _

_I hate myself. I hadn't even been able to help someone who had literally shown me the world. I remember stumbling outside, finding the Bus parked outside. I got in without a word, and Karl drove me home. _

_I don't know what the hell they were trying to teach me, whoever the hell runs this busing system. All I learned was that attachment equals pain._

_Life is fucking sick. _

---

Goku frowned softly when he finished. Though there were more entries, Goku found he had no need to read them. He felt a pang of sympathy go out to the blond, and he silently stood from the bed, crossing the room and heading out into the hall.

He headed down the darkened hallway that was lit with the dim red glow of the Second Sun. Goku wondered how people could sleep in this reddish light. Goku loved the dark when he slept, and had to close up the windows each night.

He stopped in front of Sanzo's door, pausing. What would happen if Sanzo was still up? Would he be mad? Goku took his chances, placing a hand on the doorknob and pushing the door open.

The room was flooded with a dim red light that was let in through the far window. It allowed Goku the light he needed to cross the room, silently taking a seat on the bed next to Sanzo. He watched the blond as he slept, his features completely relaxed and angelic, not marred by his usual scowl. Goku decided silently he liked the man like this, and wondered how beautiful he would look if he smiled.

He'd wanted to say so much to the man after he read his journal, and yet now he couldn't think of a damn thing he could say. Instead, he brushed the bangs from the man's forehead, smiling softly as he groaned. Sanzo turned his head, muttering something under his breath before falling back into slumber. Goku's heart suddenly raced, and he clutched at his chest through his shirt. He could feel his face flush as he watched Sanzo in the reddish tint. What was wrong with him? Why was he so skittish?

In horror Goku realized he wanted to lean down, and kiss those perfect pale lips. He wanted Sanzo to relax, to realize that attachment didn't always mean pain. He wanted to make this man happy again.

Shaking his head, Goku quickly stumbled to his feet. He had to get out of here before he did something truly idiotic. Turning, he crossed the room quickly, laying a hand on the doorknob before turning back to the bed. He watched Sanzo for a moment, before shaking his head and turning back to his own room.

* * *

**A/N: **I know I'm a horribly impaitent person, but I couldn't help but update quickly.

The part at the begining was the Mirror world's main religion. I wanted to fit it in somehow. It's going to have more of an affect on the story later on, I promise. And I'm sorry if Sanzo seemed a little too expressive in his journal, but I wanted to get his emotions across. I hope you'll all forgive me. Thank you all for reading, and I hope you're still enjoying.

C&C appreciated.


	9. Chapter Eight: Foreboding Disaster

**Reflection **

**Chapter Eight: Foreboding Disaster**

He had been dreaming about his brother again.

It had been so long since he'd even thought of Jien; it was strange that suddenly he was dreaming about days long passed when they used to live with his step-mother. Back when Jien and Gojyo got along so well, back when all they had was each other.

His step-mother used to beat him a lot in those days, and Jien would always do what he could to protect him. But often his attempts fell through. But after Gojyo's father had returned, and learned when his step-mother had done, the man gained guardianship over Gojyo but left Jien behind. The brothers had lost all contact since then, and whatever little contact they had had been intercepted by his step-mother, who still hated him with a passion.

But why, of all times, would he be thinking about him now? Was it a warning of what was to come?

He got out of bed late that morning, and noted that Hakkai was already up. The man seemed to rise with the sun. The first one. The big shiny one. Gojyo shook his head at the idiotic thought as he washed his face, and prepared to get dressed. After he had stepped outside, he noticed a lot of people were gone from the streets. The healthy men and women who could usually be found plotting or training were gone, and all that were left was the occasional child and the elderly, meant to look after the children. There was the odd able-bodied person here and there, though they seemed overly happy and ignored him all together.

Was there a meeting or something? Gojyo wondered as he headed towards the small bar on the far side of town. Maybe Maxie could explain what was going on. But when he got there the bar was closed and locked, with no sign of where anyone went. Now Gojyo was lost.

"Gojyo!" A voice yelled, before a body was thrown into his back. Gojyo stumbled, but managed to catch himself. Glancing back, he found a laughing Hakkai, who was desperately trying to regain his composure. "I'm sorry, but you have to come quick!" The man radiated joy, and Gojyo couldn't help but crack a smile at the sight of him.

"Why, what's going on!?" Gojyo asked as Hakkai grabbed his hand, running through the settlement like a madman on a mission.

Hakkai was laughing and wheezing too hard to answer him. "I'll explain on the way!" he cried, before releasing his hand and stopping in front of a large animal. "Now come on! We have to hurry!"

Gojyo could only stare at the saddled animal before him. It looked like a cross between a rhinoceros and an anteater, with a strange brown fur that covered its entire body. The lumpy animal had reins and a saddle attached, and Gojyo wondered if the people actually used them for riding on. Were they like horses? "No way," he said simply, shaking his head.

Hakkai glanced back at him, already slinging his leg up on the weird animal. "Come on Gojyo, I told you we have to hurry," he then noticed the redhead's concern, and patted the animal on the side. "Betty won't bite. Don't worry."

Shakily, Gojyo walked towards the creature, patting it softly before taking Hakkai's hand up and pulling himself into the back of the saddle. Betty gave out a low groan, rising to its feet and waddling away from the camp. "Are you sure this is going to—" Gojyo couldn't even finish his sentence as the weird animal burst forwards, running twice as fast as any horse could. He could only emit a startled sound of surprise; his arms immediately snapping to Hakkai's waist too keep himself from falling off. After regaining his equilibrium, he glanced up at the brunet, wondering if he could let his go. After a moment, when Hakkai didn't protest, Gojyo left his hands there.

"What's going on?' Gojyo asked, as the weird animal continued running.

"It's great news!" Hakkai replied, the bright grin back in place. "A nearby town called Ruith, has joined our cause."

"Are you serious?" Gojyo responded, watching several more strange creatures running back towards the settlement, all carrying packages on their backs.

"Yes, it's great," Hakkai exclaimed, laughing. "They're sharing their food, fresh water, medicine—everything with us! Gojyo, we're going to make it! With the supplies we're stolen from Capital City, we're going to live through this Eclipse and beyond! We might actually win this war!" he cried, throwing his arms up in the air and allowing the wind to whoosh past them. It almost felt like flying.

"Might?' Gojyo asked, before laughing with him. He could see the town in the distance, and could make out people laughing and packing things up. "Hell Hakkai, we'll win for sure."

It was only a moment longer before they came to a stop, and Gojyo slid off. He could feel himself reeling from the explosive ride the creature—Betty, whatever—gave them. Hakkai slid off next to him, laughing at the sight in front of him. People were mingling, children were eating. He saw Yaone and Kougaiji getting their daughter treated. Yaone was crying from sheer joy. Hell, more then half of them were. Gojyo could feel the relief and happiness as well—hell, now maybe he'd be able to get a half decent meal as well.

"Hakkai?" the pair turned, and Gojyo could feel his stomach drop. All prior joy was forgotten. "Welcome to Ruith. My name is Dokugakuji, and I'm part of the government here. I hope we'll work well together."

Hakkai smiled, extending his hand. "I know we will."

Gojyo could feel something twist inside him as he stared into the face of the brother he'd left behind almost six years ago.

---

They had both slept in that morning, Goku realized as they headed out towards the Order. Goku had stayed up far too late that night, reading deep into Sanzo's journal, while Sanzo just didn't want to wake up. He never seemed like a morning person, and so it didn't surprise Goku when he rolled out of bed to realize Sanzo was still asleep. Goku had to admit, the man was absolutely adorable when he was still sleep-ridden. He didn't dare say anything.

When they entered the Order building, and began heading towards Sanzo's office, Oliver decided to speak. "You know, things have been looking bad while you've been off taking a vacation, Sanzo," the building told him, switching from painting to painting to keep up with the man.

"I don't care," Sanzo snapped.

"The head office is not pleased with your performance."

"They can go die."

As Sanzo pulled his door open to his office, Oliver slammed it shut, causing an echoing bang to shudder through the corridor. Sanzo glared at a nearby painting of an older man. "I'm serious, Sanzo!" the building told him. "They've been having a lot of meetings. You'd better watch your back."

"Thanks for the advice. Can I go to work now?"

The building grumbled as it opened Sanzo's door, allowing the Hunter to stride in, taking a seat behind his desk. Goku frowned, about to follow when—"Goku!"

Goku turned, watching as Lirin bolted down the hallway towards him. He'd met the young woman a few days ago, and she'd apologized repeatedly about running away from him when they first met. He learned that she was Kougaiji's sister, and was being held hostage in case the redheaded demon decided to pull something funny. Though everyone knew if Lirin decided to walk out the front door no one would move to stop or—or care, really. The orange haired demon-girl stopped in front of him, looking concerned. "Bad things are happening, Goku, bad things."

Goku turned to glance back at Sanzo. Though the man was scribbling away, Goku knew he was listening. "What kind of bad things?" he asked, turning back to the young girl in front of him.

"I don't know, but they're talking about the Rebellion and Kougaiji and Sanzo and all this stuff. It's looking real bad, and I'm worried about my brother," the girl told him, pursing her lips together.

Goku sighed, taking a step inside the office. "I'm sure everything will be—"

"SANZO!" the screech that echoed down the hallways caused everyone too flinch and cover their ears.

"WHAT!?" he yelled back, slamming his hands on the desk and rising in pure frustration. Goku flinched, already telling that the blond was angry. He hated seeing Sanzo angry.

A tall, dark-haired woman entered the room, a smile lighting her lips. Goku frowned, he hadn't met her yet. "Ah, Sanzo," she said brightly, heading towards him. Her attention diverged when she caught sight of Goku, and she smiled. "Oh, so you're Goku. I heard about you." She smiled, cocking his head to the side. "You're absolutely adorable." Goku could only smile and thank her awkwardly as she messed up his hair.

"Get to the point you old swamp hag," Sanzo snapped, his patience rapidly wearing thin.

Kanzeon turned to look up at him, cocking her head to the side with a frown. "'Swamp,' that's new," she muttered, before crossing her arms over her chest. "You're wanted in the board room."

"What's it about?" Sanzo asked, suddenly growing worried. His mask of indifference didn't slip as he regarded his aunt.

"Can't say, sweetheart," Kanzeon said with a shrug.

Sanzo sighed, turning for the door. Goku could feel a pang of panic as he stepped forward, stubbornness seeping into his features as he insisted, "I'm coming too."

"You're staying here," Sanzo corrected. "I shouldn't be too long." Almost on instinct, Sanzo reached out, ruffling the boy's hair soothingly before heading for the door. He quickly turned down the hall, heading rapidly towards the board room on the fourth floor.

---

Goku, Lirin and Kanzeon waited patiently for Sanzo's return. It was almost an hour later before the door opened, and the blond strut in, looking as emotionless as ever. Relief settled into Goku's chest when he saw him, thinking that perhaps it had been nothing and they had worried over nothing. But when Sanzo's face contorted to a look of complete rage, and he turned, slamming his fist into the wall, he knew something was horribly wrong.

"Hey! Hey! Hey!" Oliver shouted from a nearby painting, as Sanzo continued to punch the wall. "Watch the merchandise, Sanzo!"

Sanzo pulled away from the wall, entwining his fingers in his hair. Kanzeon didn't even bother to question what happened as she led the distressed man to his chair. Sanzo fell back into the seat, but not before slamming his fist on the desk one last time, causing everything on the table to jump. "That son of a bitch!" he shouted, grinding his teeth as his eyes flared with hatred.

"Who?" Kanzeon questioned.

"Nii. That asshole of a scientist somehow wound his way up in the ranks while I wasn't looking. He's now somehow my 'partner' in the Rebellion Issue, and has already given permission for a march tomorrow." Sanzo grumbled before letting out another growl of aggravation.

"A march?" Lirin questioned, suddenly looking fearful.

"Apparently he's found out where the Rebellion is hiding, and is setting out tomorrow morning with a troop of two hundred men. They'll all be arrested and if they resist Nii has permission to kill," he muttered, looking all the more remorseful.

"What about my brother?!" Lirin shouted.

"And Gojyo!" Goku cried, panicked.

"Calm down all of you!" Kanzeon snapped, causing the room to go silent and eyes to turn to her. "We have to trust that the Rebellion isn't going to be wiped out so easily. They've survived underground for almost fifty years. They've lived through things like this before, so have a little faith, will you?" She paused, taking a deep breath. "There's nothing we can do about it. All we can do is sit back, and wait."

Nobody in the room admitted it out loud, but they knew she was right.

---

The tension that night was like an unwelcome third presence between them as they ate dinner, and continued on in their nightly duties. Goku had sat with Sanzo, watching silently as the man filed out documents and the like. Sanzo had only complained to his presence a few times before he simply gave up, threatening to kick him out if the brunet so much as blinked funny. Goku merely stayed silent, watching as the man angrily signed things and denied his permission to things. Goku could only feel a twinge of sympathy in his chest for the man, and wished there was something he could do to help.

Goku just couldn't explain why, but he felt like he wanted to make this man happy. He wished he could see him smile, just once, because Goku swore that would be the happiest moment of his life.

"Sanzo…" Goku whined softly, watching as the golden-haired Hunter swiped angrily at a document.

"I thought I told you to stay quiet, idiot."

Goku pressed his lips together, feeling slight depression well up inside him. "Am I really…?"

At this, Sanzo paused, turning to look at him. Goku hated that he had no idea what was going on past those deep violet depths. After a moment, Sanzo's lips turned down into a forced frown, and he turned away.

"Don't ask stupid questions."

Goku frowned questionably, dimly wondering what the man meant by that. Rising silently to his feet, he touched the man's bare shoulder, causing Sanzo to flinch. He turned around, mouth wide and about to question, when the look in Goku's eyes made him go surprisingly silent. Unable to summon the common sense to stop himself, Goku leaned down, capturing the blond in a kiss and crawling into his lap.

He was surprised when Sanzo began to come out of his stupor, kissing him back. Hands found their way to his back, fisting in his shirt as if Sanzo wanted to rip it off and have a full view of his bronze chest. Goku knew that the blond was probably only using him to relieve the tension that had built up over the last few days, and surprisingly, he was okay with that. Hell, he didn't even care. Goku _wanted_ Sanzo to use him; if it meant that he could relieve some of that tension, and make Sanzo's life a little easier.

Goku wasn't sure how they made it to Sanzo's bed, nor how easily his shirt had made it to the ground, his pants following. But he couldn't help but feel like he wanted this, though a small part of him was slightly disappointed, though he couldn't say why. Not that he cared.

"Thank you," Goku whispered between kisses.

Sanzo paused, though his hands did not pause as they wandered over his naked form. "What for?" Goku felt the words against his lips rather then heard them.

Deciding not to reply for the fact that he had no real answer to give, he pushed his mouth up towards the older man's allowing him to take control. Somewhere along the line, Goku was sure his brain exploded from the sheer pleasure Sanzo was inflicting upon him.

And he still couldn't bring himself to care.

* * *

**A/N: **Hellos everyone! Chapter eight is now up for your veiwing pleasure, and the 3x9 has decided to start to take form. I'm disappointed that this isn't really that popular, but I'll live. I'd love you all if you review and tell me what you think.

C&C appreciated.


	10. Chapter Nine: Massacre

**Reflection **

**Chapter Nine: Massacre**

Gojyo couldn't stop grinning at the adrenaline rushing through his veins. Branches clung to him all around, and his legs burned from the awkward position he had to crouch in, and yet he couldn't bring himself to care. He was far too excited about what was to come. Only an hour ago Kougaiji had rushed into the village, eyes wide and face flushed, screaming for everyone to evacuate. He proclaimed that on his way towards Capital City, he had learned that the Order was planning to wipe them out, once and for all. The women and children had been evacuated almost instantly; those who could not fight went with them. The rest stayed behind and prepared for battle.

Hakkai had almost seemed excited as he gathered the people together, telling them that it was time they struck back with a surprise attack of their own. Gojyo couldn't help but grin. This would be great! The mere thought of a victory over their last defeat was almost delicious.

Hazel had approached them after all the arrangements had been made, clearly stating that he wanted to help. "No," Hakkai had told him. "You're too young. Go hide away with everyone else, Yaone will take care of you."

"But I'm strong enough to fight on my own," Hazel complained, summoning a small shikigami to prove his point. "Please let me!"

"Come on Hakkai, I'm sure the kid can handle himself," Gojyo replied, ruffling Hazel's hair only to receive a growl from the boy. "Let him join in."

Hazel almost seemed reluctant, before he finally sighed. "All right then…"

Turning his attention to the boy beside him, Gojyo watched as Hazel's attention was drawn out towards the camp, lips set in a firm line and his fingers curling over the branch in anticipation. "Nervous?" he was surprised it was not himself who said this, but Hakkai next to him.

Turning, Gojyo shot the man a smile. "Not a chance," he whispered, turning back to the camp before them. "I'm actually quite excited."

Hakkai chuckled softly. "I'm sure. But remember, I want you both to stay behind me. I don't need either of you getting hurt."

Hazel scoffed, and Gojyo rolled his eyes. "C'mon 'Kai, we're not kids. At least I know I'm not." He grinned as Hazel shot him a dirty look. It reminded him a lot of the looks Goku would shoot him, and he suddenly missed the brown haired brat. He spared a thought to the boy, and hoped that 'Sanzo' was treating him all right. He made a mental note to check in on that when he could, and pound his snobby face in if he was mistreating Goku in any way.

Turning his attention to the battle at hand, Gojyo allowed the apprehension to build. Any second now, Kougaiji would sound the alarm. Any… second….

"Hey there!"

Gojyo nearly jumped a foot at the voice that always seemed to be dripping with confidence and self-satisfaction. Flipping around, he came face to face with the dark haired man who seemed so intent on giving him a heart attack. Next to him another young man stood, with long dark hair done up and a sword slung over his back. The boy couldn't have been any older then twelve, and looked as though he wanted to be anywhere but there.

Immediately, Gojyo ground his teeth, snarling as he shot to his feet, glaring the smug asshole down. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack or something?" he hissed, still trying to keep his voice down.

Homura simply chuckled softly. "I can't help myself; you're just so easy to surprise." His attention then diverted to Hakkai, and his expression softened into a more serious look. "I heard what happened, and we've come to offer our support."

Hakkai's eyes darted back to the young man behind him, muttering profanities under his breath, before turning back to Hakkai. "'We'?" he asked simply.

"Zenon and Shien are out by the front of the camp. They'll take on the first wave, since they're not the easiest things to kill." Homura grinned; looping his arm around the younger's neck. "And this is Nataku, and he has happily agreed to help the Rebellion and its cause."

"Don't fucking touch me, Homura," Nataku snarled, pulling away from the hold he appeared too uncomfortable with. "We had an agreement, and it had nothing to do with touching."

Homura simply chuckled.

A loud bell rang out through the small camp, and immediately everyone snapped to attention. They could make out the men on the horizon, and Gojyo couldn't help but smile, adrenaline pounding in his ears. Homura smiled cockily, placing his hands on his hips. "Shall we go then, Nataku?" he asked sarcastically.

"After you, Homura," the boy replied with a snarl, before they disappeared almost instantly.

Hakkai smiled, and turned to them. "Ready?"

"We'd have to be," Gojyo replied, turning to look to Hazel. The boy nodded, looking solemn before he cracked the faintest of smiles. Then he was off, and Gojyo was right on his heels.

---

It had been a massacre.

Gojyo grimaced as he stepped over yet another body of a man. The thrill of the oncoming fight seemed long ago lost as he turned to look over the carnage of the day's events. He hadn't killed anyone, but he felt like he might as well have. Every last Order member had been killed. Homura, Nataku, Shien and Zenon had been ruthless. It was like they didn't even see who they were killing. The Rebellion didn't even have to do much as they watched the massacre before them. No Rebellion member had been killed, but several had been injured. Hakkai and Hazel were attending to the wounded, along with other paramedics.

Gojyo had been surprised when he learned Hazel could heal. He used some type of paper, and muttered some ancient chants. Gojyo had been stunned that the strange healing abilities Hakkai possessed weren't all that uncommon. He wandered over to the pair, watching as Hazel healed another slash on someone's arm.

"So, you're a seal master," Gojyo's eyes moved to his left, where Homura was studying Hazel intently, a thoughtful look on his face. "Interesting…"

Gojyo's brows drew together and he frowned. "A seal master?" he questioned. "What's that?"

Homura smiled, his eyes never straying from the young man in front of him. "Someone who can do anything with seals. They heal, revive, attack—can essentially do anything with them."

"That's totally awesome," Gojyo muttered, turning back to face Hazel as he finished, and stood.

"Not all true," Hazel said, turning back to look up at Homura. "You have to have the right talisman in the first place, and you have to be trained in that field. Mess up and you could cause catastrophe."

Homura smiled politely. "My apologizes," he said with a slight bow.

The group turned, watching as Hakkai approached them, a slight frown on his face. Dokugakuji followed with him, and Gojyo could plainly see the spots of blood on his white coat. No matter how Gojyo tried, he simply could not relax around that man. "This doesn't look good," Hakkai muttered, stopping in front of them and running a hand through his hair. "Everyone seems to have survived, and there's minimal damage to our supplies, but the Order now know where we are. I'm afraid we'll have to move yet again."

"So soon?" Hazel complained, frowning at himself when his tone took on a childish whine. Trying to sound adult, he continued, "It's been hard on everyone, and moving takes a lot of time. There isn't much other choice, but at the same time it's going to be incredibly difficult."

"Why don't you all move and hide within Ruith?" Dokugakuji suddenly asked, causing all eyes to flicker over to him. "We could easily hide you within our walls. As far as the Order knows we are a loyal village."

"We don't want to put you out like that," Hakkai replied soothingly. Gojyo could make out the fatigue and exhaustion making its way into the brunet's face. He'd healed a few too many today.

"It's fine," Dokugakuji assured. "We want to be as much help as we can."

"Then it's settled!" Homura said loudly, clapping his hands together. It didn't seem to faze the man that he was not a part of the Rebellion, and therefore had no say. "My companions and I would be happy to help move the settlement." Without even waiting for a reply, he turned. "Nataku!" he shouted, heading towards the young man who stood a ways away. "Summon us some tigers!"

As though Homura had the final say, everyone began to disperse, heading out to inform the rest of the group of the move. As Hakkai turned, his legs seemed to give out under him and he fell. Gojyo was right there when it happened, catching the brunet before he hit the ground. Hakkai looked up at him, laughing softly. "Sorry, Gojyo…" he whispered.

Gojyo offered a small smile. "No problem…" Suddenly growing exceeding uncomfortable with the man in his arms, he set him up on his feet again, though his hands lingered on his arms for longer then necessary. "Just… don't push yourself."

A flicker of disappointment flashed through Hakkai's eyes, and he forced a smile. "I won't," and then he pulled away to issue orders.

---

"Two hundred men killed," Sanzo muttered for the fifth time that night, pacing the kitchen with the report in hand. Goku watched him. Dinner had been cleared away but the man had still been pouring over documents and reports that demanded attention. "Nothing makes sense…" he muttered.

"Like Kanzeon said, maybe we just underestimated the Rebellion," Goku offered, the first thing he'd said in a long while. The blond shot him a look, then turned back to the report as if he hadn't heard anything. Goku frowned softly. Sanzo had been doing that all day. Ignoring him, brushing him off, flinching at his touches. It was as though last night's experiences had embarrassed the man, and he didn't want to go near the brunet. Goku frowned at the thought. Now who was the child?

Goku wanted nothing more then to relive the experience. He wanted Sanzo to touch him again, because last night had been the most erotic, exciting night of his life. He wanted to do it again. But Sanzo, that annoying stuck up hunter wouldn't even look him in the eye. Goku was growing more and more annoyed with his skittishness.

"It's just a thought," Goku muttered bitterly, watching the man pace the kitchen yet again.

"There are not enough of them to even create a dent in that though," Sanzo muttered, before sighing and throwing the report to the table, which was scattered with other papers and photos. Goku couldn't help but smile slightly. It had been the first thing the man had said to him all day. Sanzo sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose, attempting to make himself feel better.

"Well, I don't know," Goku mumbled, rising to his feet. "You're the great Hunter behind all of this. I'm just a stupid kid, after all." Goku ran his hands up the blond's bare arms, leaning forwards to kiss and nip at his neck. Goku could feel Sanzo go rigid against him.

"What are you doing?" Sanzo asked coldly. The feel of the rumble in his voice box felt great under his lips, Goku thought idly.

"Tryin' to make ya feel better," Goku mumbled, moving his mouth up beside the man's ear. Goku was anything but experienced, but he had a hell of a lot of instinct.

Sanzo placed his hands to Goku's shoulders, shoving him away. "Don't, Goku," was all he offered, before turning for the stairs.

Goku frowned. He was not going to be deterred that easily. He grabbed the Hunter's wrist, flipping him around and pinning him down under a hungry gaze. "You aren't going anywhere," he snarled, surprisingly himself with his possessiveness. "You've been ignoring me all day, and I'm tired of it."

"Go—" Sanzo's protests were cut off as Goku leaned up, capturing the man's lips in a tight lock, threading his arms up behind his head and twirling his fingers in golden locks. As Sanzo began to take control, he pushed the brunet up against a nearby wall, causing Goku to wince. Two hands were placed on either side of his head, and Goku grinned, thinking he had the man in his control until said blond pulled away.

"Stop fucking around," Sanzo hissed through grit teeth, glaring the younger man down. "I am not starting something with you. Last night was an accident."

Goku frowned. An accident? To hell if he was letting Sanzo convince himself that. "Why?" Goku whined, brushing his lips across the corners of the man's mouth. "What's wrong with me? If nothing else, it's a good way to take away all that bloody tension." He continued to kiss the corners of his lips, growing bolder as he went. Sanzo suddenly shoved him back against the wall, snarling.

"I can't do anything of the sort. I'm a Hunter, and I'm not supposed to associate with other people. I won't have you fucking up my entire life," he told him coldly, narrowing his eyes. "So stop it. I'm going to get myself killed if the Order finds out I was fucking ar—" Sanzo's sentence trailed off into a barely audible hiss as Goku moved his thigh over to Sanzo's apparent arousal. The man could talk shit all he wanted, but his body wouldn't lie.

Glaring, Sanzo managed to smack the boy upside the head. "Stop that!" he snapped.

Goku frowned. "Why?"

"Because I can't… do this…" he muttered, hesitating as Goku leaned up, capturing his lips in yet another kiss. His hands strayed to the young man's shoulders, attempting to push him away, yet somehow his strength failed him, and his weakness managed to get a grip on him.

Breaking the kiss, Goku grinned. "Shut up for once," he whispered, savoring in the rare amount of control. He was probably going to pay severely for this tomorrow, yet he found he didn't care.

---

Seiten Taisei found himself against the door to his room, back pressed tightly against the wood as he rested his head against the wall. It had taken almost all of his energy to drag his body from the bed to the door, and he needed a moment to catch his breath. He liked being near the door. He used to like sitting against the door, when he was first brought here, because it was his only door to freedom. He would sit with his back pressed to the wood, listening to the sounds of the house's only other occupant and plan his escape.

Then, it had become a source of comfort. It seemed like this was as close as he could get to his keeper, and therefore found himself in this spot when he felt weak or upset. He wanted to be close to the man he loved. Sanzo. The man he loved and hated. The one he wanted to kill and to hold. The one who drove such insane cravings for things he couldn't even name. For that, Seiten wanted nothing more then to kiss him breathless and then rip out his throat to make sure he stayed that way.

For some reason, Seiten Taisei found no comfort in that thought as he sat against the door, shivering yet sweating as he listened to the sounds that filtered through the hallway, hating the scents that caught his nose. He could smell the scent of sex. The scent of arousal and sweat. Worse yet he could hear the grunts and groans that no normal demon should have been able to hear. But Seiten Taisei heard them. He heard them and he hated himself for hearing them.

He found no comfort in the spot by the door today. None at all.

He wished he was deaf. And blind. He wished he could get rid of all his senses, because hearing and smelling the signs of sex was driving him crazy. Grinding his teeth together, he drove his claws in the carpet, dragging them towards him, ripping up the flooring.

"I hate them," he hissed, closing his eyes and pushing his skull into the wood of the door. "I hate them both…"

* * *

**A/N: **(sigh) yes, it's that time of the week. Time for me to update Reflection! And hopefully ffdotnet is being nice and allowing out the alerts again. I love this chapter. I loved writing it and I love reading it. It just... works. I especially loved the ending with Seiten Taisei. He finally gets to take more of a role in thie story, which makes me happy. I love the little bugger to death.

And we got six reviews for chapter eight! Woohoo! I think that's the most reviews for a single chapter yet. xD

C&C appreciated.


	11. Chapter Ten: Accumulation

**Reflection**

**Chapter Ten: Accumulation **

He'd been waiting for a moment like this. A day like this. Everything was perfect, and it seemed the pieces were finally falling into place. The Seal Master they could use was within sight, and soon they would free Seiten Taisei. Then maybe the creatures that had been laying in wait for so long would be free to follow their leader in striking back against the human race and those demons who betrayed them. The Order would fall, Capital City would burn, and the world would be _theirs_.

Homura glanced back at Nataku. The young dark haired illusionist was hanging behind him, trailing on lazily and looking in other directions as though he were not with Homura at all. It had been surprisingly, really, to see the pair together. It had been during one of their fights when they realized that really, they wanted the same thing. And if they stopped working against each other, then it would be easier to gain what they wanted. The partnership was only temporary. He didn't doubt that they would be back at each other's throats once this was all over. Though when that was, Homura couldn't say.

In fact, he looked forward to the day that Nataku would turn his blade on him again. It was exhilarating to fight the young boy. Their rivalry had not yet reached its climax, and Homura wanted to see it continue on for many years.

"Are you ready?' Homura asked him, smiling proudly as he did so.

"We're not charging the Order, Homura," Nataku replied with a roll of his eyes. "We're seducing a child, or, to be exact, _you're_ seducing a child. So shut up and get to it."

Homura chuckled, unable to hold back his amusement at the young man's choice of words. "Feisty today, aren't we Nataku?"

He didn't wait for a reply as he headed out into the streets of Ruith. No one would question him; after all, he had helped the Rebellion move in a few days ago. And now that everything was settled Homura was accepted like one of their own. Homura basked in their acceptance, smiling politely at people as he passed. A few women smiled and waved at him, and when he winked at them, they giggled and frittered off. Homura, ever the charismatic one, simply smiled and acted like it happened all the time, which was partly true.

Nataku snarled behind him. "Try not to flirt with _everything_ on two legs, Homura."

"Just enjoying myself," Homura replied, ignoring the biting comment as he surveyed the streets for the young man they had been searching for. It hadn't taken too long, seeing as the town was fairly small. After another ten minutes, they spotted the young blue-eyed boy stepping out a building.

Homura was quick to approach him. "Young man, can we talk with you?" he asked, politely, offering a small smile.

The blue-eyed boy stared at him critically. "My name's Hazel," he said simply, but gave no indication of walking away, or denying the request. His aura radiated distrust, yet he seemed interested in whatever Homura wished to speak with him about. That was a good thing.

"Hazel," Homura repeated, as though testing the name on his tongue. "I noticed your abilities the other day. Necromancy rolled in with Seal work. Truly impressive." Homura sounded generally impressed, and Nataku cocked his brow in wonder. How many people had he falsely praised? Nataku didn't want to know.

Hazel's eyes widened a fraction of an inch, and a small smile caught his lips. "You did?" he questioned. All distrust seemed to slip away from his tone. The boy was clearly not used to praise.

"Indeed, indeed," Homura said, still smiling away. "In fact, Nataku and I have been looking for someone with abilities with yours, and we were surprised that we could find someone so skilled, so young."

Nataku resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Homura was laying it on thick now. Not that he cared, as long as the brat came with them. Crossing his arms, he added a small nod when Hazel looked his way, before the pair of blue eyes settled back on the Puppet Master.

"You think I'm skilled?" Hazel asked, his tone shining with hope and glee.

Homura simply chuckled at his enthusiasm. "We do, and we were wondering if it would be at all possible if you joined us."

A skeptical look crossed sky-blue eyes, and the boy frowned. "Why? What are you doing?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary," Homura replied with a careless shrug. "We simply want to free one of our kin that has been taken hostage by the Order, and we need a seal master to do it. You do not have to say yes—" this produced a small growl from Nataku. "—But we would appreciate your help more then any of these humans here have. We—I– think you have a gift, Hazel, and that should be explored, not shunned.

"So it is up to you. You can stay with these humans, or you can come with us."

Hazel frowned, turning to look towards the ground, clearly lost in thought. Homura didn't doubt that the boy was reflecting on stories and tales of children who left with creatures of the forest, never to be seen or heard of again. Homura couldn't help but smile slightly. They weren't all untrue, but he sure as hell wasn't planning on eating the boy. Finally, Hazel turned to look up at them, resolve hardening in his eyes. "I'll come," he said simply, causing a grin to blossom on Homura's face and a smirk to worm its way onto Nataku's lips.

"That's great news!" Homura beamed, clamping the young man on the back. "Now come Hazel, we have much discussing to do. I don't doubt that these annoying people won't miss us. After all, the Eclipse is soon; they have much more to worry about."

Hazel let his eyes trail towards the ground as he allowed Homura to lead him out of the village, disappointment and guilt shining there. "Yeah… I guess…" he muttered.

---

"Have you seen Hazel?" Gojyo asked Hakkai, as he entered the small room they were staying in to find the brunet reading over scrolls again. Ever since they'd wound up hiding in Ruith the man seemed to be glued to scrolls and battle plans, documents and forms. Gojyo doubted the man had slept much in the past week. "He's been missing for the past few days."

"I'm afraid I haven't, Gojyo," Hakkai muttered, removing his glasses to rub his sore eyes. His tone sounded strained and overworked. "I'm sure he's around somewhere, training his Necromancy skills or something."

Gojyo frowned at the obvious disdain in the marshal's voice, but decided not to comment on the boy's Necromancy. Instead, he turned his attention towards the man's desk, picking up a book at random and searching through it. "What's with all the hardcore studying, 'Kai?" he asked.

"The Eclipse is in less then a week," Hakkai explained, gathering up a few books and scrolls and moving them out of the way. "We have to make battle plans, even out food supplies and such. Things are going to be rough, but by my calculations we should be able to survive."

"What's so bad about a patch of darkness?" Gojyo asked, helping the man move some books back onto the bookshelf.

"It's an entire year, Gojyo," the brunet reminded him. "Think about it; crops die, nothing grows without sunlight. Oceans recede, there are earthquakes, and economies plummet. It's very big, and hard on everyone. It's a big patch of darkness, Gojyo. It takes a long time just to reassemble societies afterwards, not to mention that there's the upcoming takeover of the Order to think about. It's a lot to deal with."

Gojyo looked through some of the books on the nearby bookshelf, shaking his head. "You know, Hakkai, one of these days your little head's going to explode, I swear."

Turning back to face the brunet, he found himself swimming in green pools. Hakkai stared at him; his face completely relaxed though his eyes thrumming with emotion. Gojyo could feel the muscles in his face relax, staring back at the brunet, as though afraid to break eye contact. A second later Hakkai's mouth was crushed down on his, and in that second Gojyo could only thank the heavens he'd had the foresight to lock the door.

They tumbled onto the nearby bed, Hakkai's coat hitting the floor, and along with it, Gojyo's shirt. It was sudden and shocking, yet in no way did it feel wrong. Two pairs of hands scrambled over every inch of bare skin, touching feeling, caressing, as though the emotions and tension from the past three weeks had been bottled, and the cap had finally popped off, surging lust and physical need with unstoppable speed and strength.

For some reason, this felt better then all the times he'd been with girls. Gojyo had had more flings then he could ever count, and none of them had felt as brilliant or exhilarating as rolling over the bed, hands running over the half-naked body of a man he'd come to regard as more then just a friend.

Kissing and caressing was not unfamiliar to the two after a short while, and Gojyo began to grow bolder with each new move. He'd been more then a little pleased with himself when he ripped a moan from Hakkai's throat. Kissing the exposed neck, he attempted to make the man do it again.

"Goddess…. Kenren…"

Gojyo froze at the name that had slipped from the man's lips. Emotions began burning in his chest so quickly he barely had time to analyze them before one was replaced with another. Betrayal. Sorrow. Jealousy. Anger. Silently, he slipped from the man, standing and buttoning his pants as he scoured for his lost shirt.

"Gojyo?" the redhead noted the confusion in Hakkai's voice as he sat up, brows drawn together.

Gojyo shot a glare over his shoulder, glad to see Hakkai wince slightly from it. "So now you remember my name," he muttered bitterly, not at all caring that his tone sounded overly cold. Slipping his shirt back over his shoulders, he attempted to fix his rumpled hair. "Look Hakkai, I like you," he admitted, turning towards the confused and sorrowful brunet still slightly panting from his spot on the bed. "But I'm not Kenren. Kenren's dead. If you ever want _Gojyo_, then feel free to find me."

"_Maybe you're just a replacement for Kenren." _

Gojyo pressed his lips tightly together, turning and storming from the room. _And maybe you were right, Hazel._

---

He'd been waiting for this all day. Waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. He'd been waiting by the door, saving his energy for the task that would likely end him in one of two places. If he succeeded, then he would finally reclaim the life that had been lost to him. If he failed, then it was likely he would die. He would be willing to take the risk, if only to feel the blood of the one he despised most on his claws.

The time came around noon, when Sanzo came to deliver him his lunch, he lunged.

Sanzo, being born with battle instincts, moved out of harm's way, allowing him greater access to the one he truly wanted to kill. Seiten Taisei landed securely on Goku's chest, causing him to fall to the ground. He drove his claws into the boy's arms, causing a scream to tear itself from the younger's throat. Seiten Taisei's eyes narrowed and he could feel the affects of the movement already. His head was spinning, he could taste the bile on his tongue and his vision swam. But he had to do this.

A hand roughly grabbed him from behind, yanking him off Goku and allowing him to tumble towards the ground. He managed to sit up quickly, head spinning as he focused on Sanzo, who was glaring darkly at him, then towards Goku, who was sitting up, wincing from the slashes that trailed along his arms. Sanzo demanded to know what was going on, even knowing that he would never be able to understand the demon. Seiten instead turned his focus on his target again, and the only one who seemed able to translate his dialect.

"I hate you," he told the boy, eyes narrowing to slits as he flashed his fangs. "You've stolen everything I have, and then move into everything I've ever wanted."

Goku stared at him, fear dissipating as confusion set itself in place. "What do you mean…?" he asked.

"You steal my strength, you steal my life and you steal my Sanzo. I will never forgive you for this!" He lunged out again, but was thrown back by Sanzo, crashing into the desk and hitting the floor. His breathing came in labored but he swore not to let the opportunity pass. He forced himself to his feet again with amazing endurance.

"I haven't stolen anything," Goku complained, rising to his feet. He sounded truly apologetic, and it made Seiten growl. "Really, and I'm sorry if you think that way."

"Keep your damned apologizes," Seiten snarled, wheezing desperately. He attempted to collect his bearings as quickly as possible. "I don't care if it's on purpose or not. I'm going to kill you and reclaim my life."

Sanzo couldn't even interject this time as Seiten Taisei lunged across the room, sinking his fangs into the junction where neck met shoulder. Goku let a scream loose, stumbling back against a wall and shuddering as Seiten Taisei sucked at the blood there.

Sanzo grasped Seiten Taisei's shoulder, ripping Goku free of him. Before Seiten Taisei could react, Sanzo punched him smartly across the face, causing him to hit the ground with a dull thud. Seiten stared up at the blond, who was glaring down at him. He touched a hand to his cheek delicately, and with the pain that pounded there, anger flared along with it. Though, strangely enough, a sense of accomplishment and pride mixed around with it. Only his mate would dare to hit him like that.

He could feel jealousy build as Sanzo turned back to help Goku up and out of the room. The door slammed behind them with an echoing bang, but Seiten Taisei didn't mind. Licking his lips, he smiled. He got what he wanted.

---

Sanzo allowed the young teen to tremble against him as he steadied himself against the wall. Goku acted like he'd lost a lot of blood, though it looked like only a cupful stained his front shirt, standing out amongst the whiteness of the material. Sanzo frowned softly as Goku attempted to recollect his bearings. Then again, he wasn't sure how much Seiten Taisei _drank_ either.

Throughout the entire conversation it unnerved him that he couldn't understand anything Seiten Taisei said. He could only feel responsible; as he watched the pair face each other, Seiten legs quaking with the pressure as his body swayed slightly from the fever. He had wanted to stop the confrontation and demand the demon lie down, as too much movement was going to kill him, but he knew better then to cross the demon.

But when Seiten Taisei tried to attack Goku, all understanding and compassion flew out the window and he struck Seiten with pure anger, something that had never been directed towards the demon before.

Goku trembled next to him, using Sanzo's arms in a vain attempt to support himself. His face was unusually pale and his eyes looked bloodshot. "Are you all right?" Sanzo asked, cringing at the almost caring-tone to his voice.

Goku nodded, attempting to steady himself.

"What was he saying?" Sanzo probed softly, curiosity getting the better of him.

Goku's voice was strained as he attempted to speak. "He was… saying…" Goku could not continue as his eyes rolled back and he fell. Sanzo cursed, catching him and placing him on the ground. He placed his fingers to Goku's wound, but flinched when his skin burnt. Placing a hand to Goku's forehead, he cursed again. His skin felt almost on fire. Sanzo shot to his feet, grabbing a wash cloth out of a nearby linen closet; he wet it with cold water and set it back on the boy's forehead. Pushing two fingers past his lips, he let out a long whistle.

He listened as the tea pot attempted to scramble up the stairs, a second later it stood next to him, happily panting. "Find a doctor," Sanzo told it strictly, and like a bolt of lightening the teapot was down the stairs and out the small door Sanzo had made it.

Sanzo cursed repeatedly, turning back to the boy on the ground. Placing his hand to the wash cloth, he frowned as the coolness already began to fade. Sighing, he allowed his eyes to slide closed. A nice migraine was setting itself in place. Great. "You two are a fucking curse," he whispered into the desolate house.


	12. Chapter Eleven: Freedom

**Reflection **

**Chapter Eleven: Freedom**

He couldn't help but feel absolutely betrayed as he sat overlooking the small town. He was seated atop a small shop, which had become his hiding place as of late, as long as the old woman who owned the shop didn't catch him up there. It felt like he could watch the world pass him by, as he sat up on his perch, and he was perfectly okay with that. People below him passed without a care, and he could spot more then one Rebel mingling with the crowd. He'd watched Kougaiji and Yaone mingle, their daughter probably being taken care of somewhere. Kougaiji seemed to have recovered, and Gojyo was glad. He'd spotted others, couples, families, friends, and could only feel happiness for them, and a spark of envy.

He hated the anger and bitterness that was directed towards Hakkai. He didn't want to be mad at Hakkai, but at the same time he couldn't bring himself not to be. Why did Hakkai have to be focused on Kenren? Why couldn't he just move on and accept him? Gojyo frowned irritably, kicking his feet. Of course it wasn't that easy, but sometimes Gojyo wished it was.

He had honestly thought that the brunet had felt something for him, but in turn it had all been about Kenren. Gojyo _hated_ Kenren.

He sighed through his nose, watching as the First Sun began to slip beyond the horizon, the Second One rising and drowning the world in a sweet, reddish glow. He was probably being unfair to Kenren. For all he knew the man was a great guy, but Gojyo could not bring himself to think well of him. He could only stir in his own jealousy and bitterness, silently wishing he didn't feel as horrible as he did.

He wasn't surprised to hear the sounds of someone climbing onto the building, and then followed by footfalls. He pursed his lips, refusing to succumb to the feeling of the man's presence as Hakkai came and sat next to him. "Hey," he whispered after a moment of silence, before turning his attention down towards the people below. "It's a nice view."

Curiosity got the better of him. "How'd you know where to find me?"

Hakkai shrugged. "You seem like the type to like high places."

Gojyo sneered. "I'm guessing Kenren liked high places too," he snapped back quickly.

This was followed by silence as Hakkai mulled over the question. After a moment, he finally answered, "Yes, but Kenren preferred trees to buildings. If I was looking for Kenren, I would've started for the woods," he paused, turning his gaze to the redhead next to him. Gojyo kept his eyes forwards. "But you aren't Kenren, so I decided to search for where I thought _Gojyo_ would be."

Gojyo snorted, watching a mother and her child head home. "So this'll never happen again?" he asked, finding himself forgiving the man despite his instincts.

Hakkai chuckled softly. "I can't promise that. I am human after all, and bound to make a mistake once in a while," Gojyo turned to look at him, shooting the man a skeptical look as the man smiled. "But I can promise that I will never do it intentionally, nor will I ever mean for it to hurt you. Ever. You're important to me, Gojyo. And I care for you."

Gojyo couldn't help but smile, shaking his head. He couldn't even speak before Hakkai leaned down, placing a simple, chaste kiss to his lips. Breaking apart, he cracked a small smile. "Come back to bed."

That was all of an apology Gojyo needed.

---

As he peeled open his eyes, he was still half asleep, and found the pull of said sleep was almost too tantalizing to ignore. But somehow he managed. He'd slept too long as it was, and he could feel it in his muscles. Everything was sore, and this he knew without even moving. At least the pain in his neck had disappeared, and he was only left feeling drowsy and dazed, wondering what had happened since he'd passed out in Sanzo's hallway.

He could see a white ceiling. Was he in a hospital? Slowly, he pushed himself to sit up, finding himself in a large room with beds spread out next to each other. It looked like one of those old hospitals where they had to cram all the beds in one room. Despite the fact that the place had at least twenty other beds, there was only one other person in one. He was several beds down, and buried beneath covers so Goku couldn't see him. Turning his attention to the side, he was surprised to find Sanzo seated on a window ledge, a cigarette hanging loosely in his fingers, staring out into the sky thoughtfully.

Goku could only stare at him for a moment, taken in by the man's beauty. He couldn't help but feel drawn to this man, wanting to reach out and touch the blond hair that shone like the sun. He loved Sanzo's hair, and his eyes and hands and—hell, he loved every part of him. If Goku could change any part of the man, he would have to analyze every part of Sanzo before he eventually gave up and admitted that Sanzo was perfect, in his eyes, and he never wanted him to change.

It didn't surprise Goku to find that the only word that could describe his inalienable appetite towards the man as love. A small detached part of him thought he was crazy, told him that he'd only known Sanzo for a little over a month, let alone the fact that they we're both guys, and to top it off he'd never experienced love in the first place, and wouldn't know the feeling if it smacked him upside the head. But Goku couldn't describe the feeling as anything else. He wanted to be near the man, and that was all that truly mattered.

Slowly, Goku pushed himself to his feet, wobbling slightly before regaining his equilibrium. His head spun and his muscles were sore as hell, but he didn't want to lie down. He wanted to be close to the man that shone brighter then any sun in the sky. He stepped up next to the man, finding himself slightly taller then him in the sitting position. The blond turned to him, stubbing out the cigarette in the nearby ashtray. It hadn't been the first, from what Goku could tell.

"Feeling better?" was all Sanzo asked in a soft whisper tone.

Goku nodded. "Yeah," he whispered. "Still dizzy, but better," he added, turning his attention out the window. The First Sun was setting, casting the sky in a purplish tiny. Goku frowned suddenly; he'd never seen the sky that shade. In the day, it was often a stunning blue, and at night, it was a reddish light. Never had he seen the purple overcast that back home meant the oncoming night was falling. Turning his attention to the window, he was surprised to find both the First and Second Sun beginning to set beyond the horizon.

"The Eclipse," Sanzo verified, his eyes still caught by the pair of suns that were slowly falling beyond the horizon.

Goku could not help but smile slightly, ignoring the fact that he must've been unconscious for several days. Instead, he gently took Sanzo's hand in his own, squeezing reassuringly. Sanzo hesitantly squeezed back. "Nervous?" he whispered, turning his attention to the beautiful blond next to him.

Sanzo scoffed, turning his violet pools up towards him. "As if," he muttered, allowing his gaze to linger to a little longer then necessary, before turning to look out the window again. Goku got the sense that Sanzo wanted to say some thing more, but when he didn't, he simply shrugged, pulling himself into Sanzo's lap, and making himself comfortable against his chest. Sanzo scoffed, but did not shove him off. Instead, he wrapped his other arm around the boy a little possessively, then continued to watch as the suns made their decent beyond the horizon.

Goku merely smiled, deciding not to ruin the moment with words. He snuggled back against the man's chest, resting his head on his shoulder, turning his attention out towards the ever-darkening sky.

---

Gojyo whined softly from his spot in bed, staring at his brown-haired lover that refused to come back to bed. At that, Gojyo could only grin. Yup, he and Hakkai were lovers now. Done, finished and sealed the deal, Hakkai wasn't getting away from him anymore. Hakkai was clothed in little more then pants and a light cotton shirt, but he was standing by the window in the small room, his attention drawn up towards the sky. Gojyo couldn't help but frown softly; he wanted Hakkai back in bed, so he could prove how much he wasn't Kenren's anymore.

"Hakkai," Gojyo whined, knowing he sounded like an impatient child, but he couldn't seem to care. "Come back to bed."

Hakkai turned to give him a gentle smile, but immediately turned back to look out at the sky. "Come here, Gojyo, you'll want to see this."

Clad in little more then jeans, Gojyo grumbled and pulled himself from the bed and crossed the room, wrapping his arms around Hakkai's waist and placing his head on his shoulder. He looked towards the purple sky, drowning in the sky swimming with evening colors. He could only stare at the pair of suns that were dipping beyond the horizon. "The Eclipse…" he muttered softly, watching with awe and fascination. "It's really… pretty…" he added, moving to place a kiss behind Hakkai's ear.

Hakkai smiled slightly, the comforting silence dragging on until Hakkai decided to break it with a simple question: "Where do you suppose the suns go?" he whispered.

At this, Gojyo looked up stupidly, eyeing his lover's profile before frowning. "This from the man who has all the answers?" he replied softly, kissing down on his shoulder, though inwardly reflecting on the question. "I honestly don't know."

"I want to find out one day," Hakkai replied, closing his eyes. "I want to know where they go."

"I have a feeling you'll be able to find out," Gojyo replied softly, finally resting his chin on the man's shoulder, and closing his eyes. He'd seen sunsets a million times over. Though this one felt different, special. Possibly because he was in a whole other world, experiencing it with someone he'd come to care for immensely, and said person had never seen night before.

As the suns set completely, Hakkai chuckled softly. "Do you hear that?" he whispered.

Gojyo cocked an eye open, looking up at him lazily. "I don't hear anything."

Hakkai turned in his embrace, twining his hands around the man's neck. "The bells of war are ringing," he whispered, before bringing the redhead down for a slow, lazy kiss. Breaking apart, he pushed his forehead to his. "And this time, the Goddess is on our side."

---

He had his life back.

Or at least, some of it. With the life force he'd stolen from Goku, his fever had dissipated, and his strength had returned, but he had no where to go and no where to use it. Seiten Taisei could only snort at the irony as he fell back against the bookcase, staring up at the ceiling. He only had a short time to use the energy he'd obtained, and he didn't want to spend it lying around.

Sanzo had not come to see him lately, which Seiten could not blame him for. After nearly killing his stupid brown-haired lover, he assumed the man was quite angry with him. Hell, in the past few days, Sanzo hadn't even come to give him something to eat. Seiten didn't mind, it wasn't like he really needed food. He could last a few years without food, though he couldn't do without it forever. Eventually it would catch up with him, but Seiten Taisei wasn't worried. Sanzo would come and feed him eventually, and when the time came, he would escape and use what little life he had left in him. He wanted to kill Goku. He wanted to feel the boy's life drain from him. He wanted to run through forests again, and truly feel alive.

Mostly, he wanted to make Sanzo his.

He prayed, despite it being against his nature, for something to come and free him. Whether it was Sanzo, or a creature of another nature, he needed freedom now more then any other time.

He was a little more then surprised when his prayers were answered.

The door rumbled with the familiar sounds of the lock coming undone. Curious, Seiten Taisei perked his head up. Had Sanzo come back to him? Was he forgiven? But when the door opened, Seiten Taisei didn't find Sanzo at his door, but three strangers. This caused him to frown in confusion. The tallest stood in an indigo robe, with dark hair and kaleidoscope eyes. The shortest also had dark hair, with a similar robe of a different color. Immediately, Seiten Taisei knew they were not human, or demon. Like and unlike himself, they were lost somewhere in between. Creatures without a race, and without a purpose.

The last, he knew, was human. With bright blue hair and eyes to match. He could smell the boy's fear, and awe as he rose to his feet. "It's… Seiten Taisei…" he heard the boy mutter, and Seiten couldn't help but crack a smile. It seemed as though even years after his imprisonment he had not been forgotten.

He toyed with the idea of slaying the creatures in front of him, and making his escape, but decided to wait, and see what they would do. The tall, dark haired one stepped forwards, and bowed. "My name is Homura, Seiten Taisei, and these are my accomplices, Nataku and Hazel. We're here to set you free."

Seiten Taisei could not have asked them for better timing.

He stepped up towards the group, sniffing at them curiously. The boy—Hazel—seemed unnerved by the close scrutiny. No doubt he'd heard stories about Seiten Taisei, and was undoubtedly afraid of him. He didn't bother with words, knowing the group would not be able to understand him. Seiten smiled at the thought, before finally brushing past them, out into the hallways he'd only been through once yet knew like the back of his hand. He could hear the other three men following him as he moved down the stairs, out the door and into the brisk darkness of the Eclipse.

Seiten Taisei looked up. It appeared the suns had just set, and darkness was settling itself into the world. He could feel the wind on his face for the first time in two full years. The gravel bit into his bare feet, and the scent of a rainfall not long ago clung to his senses. He could feel himself drawn in by a strong, overpowering scent. It drove him mad, thrumming through his blood like a toxic drug meant to drive him to the brink of insanity and beyond.

He could hear the sounds of his new accomplices stepping out behind him, and he decided he would not yet kill them. Perhaps they could be of some use later.

Throwing his head back, Seiten Taisei found himself drunk on the alluring scent that could only have one name as he let out a long, loud howl.

It was the scent of _freedom_.

* * *

**A/N: **(happy dance) I love this chapter, and you can see why. Our little 39 and 58 couples have secured themselves, and Seiten Taisei is finally free. I love where the story turns from here, and I'm so ready to keep writing this for many more amazing chapters. I want to think everyone who is sticking with me through this. I know it's not what the average Saiyuki fanfiction looks like, and I want to thank you for giving it a chance.

C&C appreciated.


	13. Chapter Twelve: The Coming of Retributio

**Reflection **

**Chapter Twelve: The Coming of Retribution **

The journey back to Sanzo's house had been more dangerous then Goku would have imagined.

Large posts that could only be described as street lamps stood tall and proud out of the street. They held containers, with what looked like old lanterns, which were lit with bright candles. It wasn't nearly enough light, but it would have to do. Sanzo tugged him down into alleyways and made certain to stay off the streets. He seemed abnormally tense, and every time Goku tried to ask him what was wrong, Sanzo would clamp a hand over his mouth to keep him silent.

As they headed along the street, Goku could only take in the shadows from every curve. Capital City looked frightful after dark, and Goku could only imagine what else was lurking behind darkened corners.

The streets had all but been abandoned. Windows and doors looked as though they were bolted up, and it caused the entire city to fall into silence. The normally livid city looking so desolate it made shivers crawl up Goku's spine. He gripped Sanzo's hand tighter as they continued down the street at a quicker pace. They only had a few blocks left but it felt like they had to cross a country. Goku couldn't explain the cold sweat that clung to his skin. It felt just… wrong. Like something was watching him.

Sanzo suddenly jerked him back into an alley, covering his mouth and pressing them both against the closest wall. Goku watched in silent horror at the creature that slowly made its way along the street. It was at least fourteen feet tall, with long, languid arms that dragged against the ground. It looked far too thin for his liking, and had a single, large eye the size of a dinner plate on its face. It was hairless, and its skin continued to become transparent and opaque, as though it couldn't decide whether or not it was real. Goku could hear the scraping of its knuckles against the gravel and it made him sick. Before he could blink the creature disappeared into the shadows of the night.

Only then did Sanzo release him, but he was still tense. Turning horrified eyes up to the blond, he could only whisper, "What the hell was that thing?"

"It's called a Night Walker," Sanzo replied softly, still watching the streets intently. "They're creatures that cannot stand the sunlight, and only appear when the Eclipse sets in. They come in different shapes and forms, so don't approach anything or anyone you don't know, Goku."

"Right," the brunet replied with a nod, before they were out in the streets again.

They ran for only a few minutes before Sanzo abruptly stopped, causing Goku to slam back into him. Backing off, he scowled, glaring at the man's back before he caught sight of what made the man pause. Standing less then a yard in front of them, were four figures. Homura and Nataku were easily recognizable, looking abnormally smug. A younger boy stood with them, and beside him the shortest figure was easily recognized as Seiten Taisei.

The demon stood tall, the effects of the fever seemed to be lost entirely on him. His golden slit eyes were trained on them, and a small, cruel smile worked its way onto his lips. His fangs looked purely deadly in the soft light and his eyes seemed to glow with devious intent. Goku could feel his throat close up ion fear. The only thought that made any sense in his mind was that he was going to die.

Seiten Taisei turned to them slowly, before with a burst of speed he was in front of them. Sanzo couldn't even draw his gun before Seiten had grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, and yanked him downwards into a searing kiss. Goku stared, wide eyed and open mouthed, too shocked to move, too stunned to speak. It appeared that Sanzo was having a similar problem. Goku knew that Seiten Taisei had feelings for Sanzo, but he never thought he would've acted on it. He could feel the flames of jealousy licking at his heart, yet he was still too stunned to do anything about it.

Finally, Seiten Taisei pulled away, releasing his keeper as a smile overtook his lips. Turning sharp eyes to Goku, his smile grew. "I'll kill you one day, Goku, and take what's mine," he told the boy with a low rumble of a voice, before turning back towards the men standing not far away. "But not today."

He suddenly jumped up on the nearest roof, disappearing into the night. As soon as he was gone, the distant sound of a howl sounded, one Goku knew was not emitted by any sort of dog. Goku's eyes were wide, not focused on anything as he thought of what would happen now that the demon was free. He'd only heard pieces of what had happened last time Seiten Taisei was free, but never really thought about it. Would it be as disastrous as the first time? Goku barely took note of Homura and Nataku leaving, abandoning their blue-eyed companion.

Sanzo finally seemed to regain his composure, and his features were overcome with rage. Grabbing his gun, he turned to run after the demon. "Mother-fucker! I'm going to kill that traitorous bastard!" Sanzo roared.

Before Goku could do anything to stop him, a figure almost materialized out of thin air. He was a young man, probably somewhere in his later twenties to early thirties. He wore what looked like a jacket with no sleeves that reached down to his waist. A hood covered most of his face, but Goku could just barely make out aged brown eyes that looked like they could use a few more hours of sleep, light amber hair which seemed to have been burnt from long hours in the sun, and stubble that was a few days old. He wore about seven or eight pendants around his neck that all clinked together as he moved. Who the hell was this guy?

He stepped forwards, grabbing Sanzo by the wrist and eliciting a curse from the man. Before anything more could be said, the man whipped the blond around, and punched him to the face. Hard. Sanzo fell to the ground with a thud and a bleeding nose, his gun hitting the ground and sliding away. Panicking, Goku attempted to find anything that could help. He grabbed an old broomstick and snapped the end off, turning back to Sanzo and the new man. Without hesitation, he struck.

He'd been trained in Kendo when he was younger, and a stick was pretty similar to a sword, he figured. Besides, he always found himself better off with a Bo then a sword. Though when the stick came around, aimed at the man's head he turned, and held up his arm. The old broomstick cracked in half and the vibrations caused Goku to lose his balance, hitting the ground and staring up at the man. The hooded man didn't even seem to bat an eyelash at the blow that should have shattered his arm.

Sanzo—still held in his rage—drew his gun. Before anything could be done the hooded man kicked the gun from Sanzo's hand, and grabbed him by the shirt, dragging him up to look him in the eye. "Don't be an idiot!" he suddenly yelled, before shoving Sanzo back down. "You can't run after him right now! Think about the situation you're in!"

Sanzo took a moment to look from Goku, back to the boy who was still huddled against the wall, wide-eyed and shocked that his companions had abandoned him. He might come in handy. Slowly, Sanzo managed to regain his control, taking a moment to catch his breath. After a moment, his violet gaze hardened on the hooded man in front of him. "Who are you?" he asked in a low growl of a tone.

The hooded man cracked a smile, and bowed low. "My name is Gusei, utterly at your disposal." Standing his smile slipped and he glanced back towards the blue-eyed boy still huddled against the wall. "But at the moment, I believe we have more important things to deal with."

Suddenly all eyes were on the blue-eyed boy and Sanzo shook his head, pushing the heels of his palms into his eyes. "Damnit…" he whispered. "Let's just… head back to the Order."

---

In under an hour everyone had assembled in Sanzo's office. Kanzeon had joined them, along with a few guards in case the boy attempted attack anyone. He'd tried to run twice already, and was stopped once by Sanzo and once by Oliver. As soon as the boy understood that the building was alive he'd given up on running and simply sat in silence, glaring for all he was worth.

The boy's name was Hazel, but that was all they were able to get out of him. He'd kept his lips sealed not matter what kind of threats went his way. Only after Homura and Nataku had been brought up did the boy open up and speak a little, though it was only to badmouth his deserters. The interrogation had gone on for over an hour without much improvement. Sanzo was growing very irritated, and his foul mood upset Goku, though the brunet tried not to make it public. Even Kanzeon had begun to grow annoyed. The only one who seemed to be at ease was the strange hooded man named Gusei, who sat cross-legged on Sanzo's desk and watching the events before him. Sanzo had threatened the man to leave more then once, but he didn't seem too intent on moving.

"Listen to me," Sanzo said bitterly, staring the blue-eyed boy down with a glare that would make grown men freeze. "I swore I would never torture my prisoners, but you're making it very difficult to abide by my oath. Homura and Nataku abandoned you, so therefore you don't owe them anything. Stop being so damned stubborn and tell me what they want with Seiten Taisei."

Hazel looked defiant only a moment longer before his mask crumbled, bleeding away to show hurt and exhaustion. "I don't know, okay?" he mumbled in a soft voice that was difficult to hear in the large room. "They just said… that they wanted to free one of their brothers who'd been taken hostage by the Order. But I…" his voice trailed off as the boy's eyes clouded. His brows knitted together in thought as he tried to recall something. "But they kept… talking about… the coming of retribution… or something."

"The coming of retribution," Sanzo repeated, taking his eyes off the boy to mull the words over in his mind. Who was it they wanted vengeance on? As Sanzo considered the options, Gusei let out a long, loud whistle from his spot on the desk. Sanzo's eyes shot over to him as an annoyed growl formed in his throat.

The man had pulled back his hood, showing long blond-orange hair that brushed his shoulders, framing his face messily. He scratched at his stubble, brown eyes drawn together in faux thoughtfulness. The strange pendants around his neck clinked, and with the better light Sanzo could make out a cross, the pentacle that represented the Sun Goddess, a pair of intersecting circles, strange wings that looked as though they morphed into hands, and more that he couldn't make out. They were all made out of the same kind of steal and Sanzo wondered what the hell he used them for. His attention was drawn back up towards Gusei's face to find the man still pretending to contemplate something. "Well Sanzo," he said in the same slurred voice, as though he'd just come from a bar. "What do you make of it?"

"Didn't I tell you that you'd have to leave if you didn't keep your mouth shut?" Sanzo snapped, though his eyes flickered down to the ground in thought. "I'm not sure, actually. Nataku and Homura working together is surprise enough, though what on earth would they want Seiten Taisei for? I've never seen them demonstrate any interest in the demon before. My thought is they're planning to strike back against the Order. I can imagine why Seiten Taisei and Homura would want to, but the Order has never done anything towards Nataku, so I'm still uncertain."

"Or maybe," Gusei drawled, still gazing off as his lips drew into a soft pout. "Maybe they're working for someone else."

This caused every eye in the room to snap to him. Kanzeon's lips drew into a fine line, eyes sharp as she waited for him to elaborate. When Gusei did nothing more then study the dirt under his fingernails, she snapped, "What the hell are you talking about?"

The man winced, his frown deepening as he turned his brown eyes up to her. "I'm saying just that. Think about it, what are Nataku and Homura?" Placing his chin in his hand, he smirked.

Sanzo's brows drew together. "In-Betweens. They're neither human nor demon."

Gusei clapped, congratulating. "Good job. And what is Seiten Taisei?"

"An In-Between," Sanzo answered, brows drawn together in confusion. "He was supposed to be the most powerful and had been sleeping in a cave for one thousand years before the construction of the southern forests took place…" Sanzo's eyes widened a bit, only noticeable to those who knew him well. "Oh." Was all he managed to mumble.

Realizing Sanzo had figured it out, Gusei began clapping loudly. "Give the man a prize! He's figured it out!"

Goku shot his lover a confused look, laying a hand on his shoulder for support. Sanzo neither encouraged nor discouraged the act, instead suddenly looked fearful. "This is bad. Seiten Taisei was always the strongest. When he attacked Capital City two years ago, one of the reasons why he was so successful was because a bunch of In-Betweens joined him. He's like…"

"Their leader," Gusei said calmly from his spot on the desk.

Kanzeon's eyes narrowed, her arms crossed over her chest. "And how is it you know all this?"

Gusei threw his head back, and with a wet pop his eye flew from its socket. It wiggled through the air, like a fish thrown from its tank before Gusei caught it in his palm. He squished it in his fist, and Goku thought for a moment he popped his own eye. But when Gusei opened his hand, his eye sat in the middle of his palm, sitting in a small socket that Goku was sure had not been there before. With a lopsided grin, Gusei said, "I've got eyes everywhere."

"What the hell are you?" Sanzo snapped as Gusei smacked his palm into his eye. He blinked a few times as the eye rolled back into its proper place in his head.

Gusei shook his head a few times, blinking before everything centered. "Good question," he muttered casually, cocking his head to the side as he stared at Sanzo. "But I think a better one would be, what are you going to do about Seiten Taisei?"

Pausing a moment, Sanzo thought it over. "I'm going to have to go after him," he decided with an air of finality. "The longer he has, the more In-Betweens and Night Walkers will join his side. Then not only will we have the Rebellion to deal with, but a shit load of demons ready and willing to watch Capital City burn."

"I'll come with you!" Gusei offered cheerfully, leaping from his spot on Sanzo's desk to land on the floor next to him. When his bare feet touched the ground, they didn't make a sound, as though he wasn't really there. "I've always wanted to face the great Seiten Taisei in full glory."

Sanzo's eyes narrowed, as his lips pressed tightly into a thin line. "Who the hell invited you?" the blond demanded bitterly.

"No one," Gusei said, shrugging. "But riddle me this, Sanzo: If I don't come with you, how are you going to take Seiten Taisei down? You certainly can't trust any guards with this task."

"And who says I can trust you with it?" Sanzo shot back with a snarl.

Gusei beamed, as though enjoying the battle of words. "Ah, touché."

Shaking his head, Sanzo turned, heading towards the door. "Kanzeon, keep a watch out here. Make sure the soldiers do their daily duties, and keep distributing food and supplies to the people. The Night Walkers shouldn't cause trouble unless they're disturbed."

Kanzeon nodded, decided that for once she wouldn't point out that she was senior officer.

"As for Hazel…" Sanzo muttered, glancing over his shoulder at the blue-eyed boy that was still glaring at him. "Lock him up. Don't let him leave the building. We might need him later." Turning back towards the door, he opened it, allowing Gusei to slip out into the hall, not waiting for his companion as he half-skipped down the hall. "And keep Goku safe, as well."

As though finally able to find his voice, the brunet stood suddenly from his chair, allowing it to clatter against the ground loudly. "Hey!" Goku yelled, storming towards the door angrily. "That's not fair! I want to go with you!"

"No," Sanzo said roughly. "You'll be safer here."

"No I won't!" Goku argued back, eyes wide as he attempted to find a reason. Without bothering to think, he continued, "Because Seiten Taisei might come back and kill me while you're gone! He said he would!"

"What?" Sanzo cried, baffled.

"Yeah!" Goku continued, feeling the desperation and fear of being left behind fueling his words. "He said so, just today! He said he was going to kill me for…" …_For loving you… _"…For stealing his strength! And if you're gone how do you know anyone here will be able to protect me!?"

Sanzo's reply didn't come right away, and Goku wondered if he won the argument. He stayed silent, searching his keeper's face for any sort of acceptance. As per usual, Sanzo's expression was guarded but his eyes shone with an emotion Goku couldn't name. Worry? Fear? Love? Goku swore he saw a flicker of something more, before everything went dim and Sanzo's eyes were shadowed with indifference.

The stoic Hunter turned back to the door, opening it and stepping out into the hall. "You'd better hurry or else I'm leaving you behind."

Catching the implications of his words, Goku's expression brightened. His eyes glittered as he turned, quickly following Sanzo down the hallways. Goku knew it was probably smarter for him to stay behind, but he couldn't stand to be separated for Sanzo. He had Lirin, Oliver and Kanzeon to spend time with, but somehow he knew something would be off without Sanzo. The man was his light, and his universe. And not being with him made something inside Goku wither. Besides, Goku thought as he studied his keeper's profile, he couldn't just trust Sanzo's safety into the hands of some stranger. If anything were to happen then Goku wanted to be there to take the blow, heal the wound—do anything so long as he was useful.

After all, Sanzo was his sun. And Goku would do anything for him.


	14. Chapter Thirteen: El Diablo

**Reflection **

**Chapter Thirteen: El Diablo**

The entire city seemed alive and lit with torches. Peoplewere dotted along the streets, all masked and in bright, colorful costumes. The firelight dancing in the darkness was accompanied by the sounds of laughter and the tune of drumming. It seemed every villager had taken part in the festival, with strange, intricate costumes and even stranger masks. All were brightly colored, looking as though they'd all come from different cultures. Most were different interpretations of monsters. Some wore purple robes with what looked like wings attached, with a mask that curved down into the beak of a bird. Others wore strange, wild red wigs and orange robes, looking similar to lions. And some wore green clothes, with snake-skin like material and a helmet which looked like the head of a dragon.

The Rebels seemed to be getting into the spirit of the festival; Gojyo had spotted more then one sporting a new costume they'd bought from a stand and mingling in with the fun and games. Hakkai had insisted they enjoy the night, and Gojyo had caved after only a few minutes. Hakkai had purchased a pig's costume. It looked like it had originated from China, or Japan, as it took the appeal of a kimono. It was pink and red, and he had laughed when Gojyo insisted he wear the pig snout and the ears.

Gojyo had been dressed as what he was told was a water sprite. His costume looked to be more from Native American culture, as he was dazzled in material where he didn't need it and not enough where he did. The material was blue and green, and he'd even been given a small trident to finish off his costume. Hakkai had joked and said they should switch costumes, when Gojyo replied that he thought Hakkai looked fine in pink thank-you-very-much.

Everyone seemed to be having a good time. There were game booths set up all around, along with entertainers and shows taking place. All the shops were open and distributing food, and in every window, Gojyo found it peculiar that there were hanging bones. Some were dried chicken bones, others looked like pigs bones, and some were even fake bones. But every window held a bone of some sort, hanging from a string.

"It's tradition," Dokugakuji had informed them when Hakkai had asked about it. "Every Eclipse, Ruith has held a festival in which the town members have dressed up as monsters to ward away the Night Walkers and the In-Betweens. Wehang up bones in the windows, as though to prove that we are truly monsters. It's a warning to anyone who has tried to cross us. The monsters see the bones and leave. We have never suffered an attack or a visit from a single Night Walker in the last thousand years."

"Wow," Hakkai breathed, smiling as he took in the culture. "This is so much different from Capital City."

"What happens if the monsters try to attack?" Gojyo asked.

Dokugakuji shrugged. "It's never come up."

Gojyo and Hakkai absorbed the culture like sponges. They played the games, ate way too much, and watched shows with fire eaters and jugglers. They shared a cup of strange juice that Gojyo was sure kept changing flavors on him, and they even managed to steal kisses behind alleyways. The night in itself had almost been perfect, until Hakkai and Gojyo were stumbling tipsily towards a nearby hill to relax. At least that had been Gojyo's intention, until a loud, powerful howl pierced through the night.

It sounded long, drawn out and chilling to the bone. Gojyo shuddered, wondering what kind of creature would make such a sound. He decided not to dwell on it, however, as the sound seemed to be coming from far away. But next to him, Hakkai's face paled, his eyes widened and he shook, as though his body was going to break out into a seizure.

"Hakkai?" Gojyo cried, easing him down onto the grass. "Hakkai, are you all right?"

"Yes, I… suppose… I'll be all right." The healer managed to mumble out, running his fingers through his hair messily.

"You just went seriously white, dude," Gojyo said, his attention focused on his lover. Concern lay bare in his eyes; though Hakkai was too focused on his hands to really notice.

"That howl…" was all he managed to mumble, before chattering filled the area. Gojyo let out a shout of disgust when at least fifty squirrels suddenly ran by them, carrying their cigarettes and acorns on their backs, looking as though they packed up and were fleeing from their home. Hakkai's eyes snapped to the southern forest in the distance, not having to be told what it was that drove them from their home.

A squirrel stumbled in front of them, dropping its packs of cigarettes. As it attempted to gather up its possessions, it turned up towards the two humans in front of him.

"Por favor!" it cried in rapid Spanish. "Necessito comprar algunos de mis cigarillos! No puedo llevarlos todos."

Hakkai frowned, casting Gojyo a glance. It seemed the man held a puzzled expression, though if it was about the squirrel's behavior or the language Hakkai couldn't say. Placing on a soft smile, Hakkai returned to addressing the squirrel. "I'm sorry," he told it. "But I'm afraid we don't have anymore money."

"Tu estás mintiendo!" the squirrel insisted, holding the pack out to him. "Por favor! Medio precio, para ti!"

"You can understand the bugger?" Gojyo shot back suddenly, cutting off the young mammal's cries.

Hakkai turned to him, and nodded. "More or less. I took language classes when I was younger. Squirrel was one of the first ones I learned."

"Okay," Gojyo muttered, wondering if they actually called Spanish, 'Squirrel language' on this side of the mirror. Shaking his head, he turned back to the furry creature in front of him. "Then why are you guys in such a hurry? What are you running from?"

"El diablo," the squirrel replied in its high pitched Spanish tone. "El monstruo quiere arruinarse a todo! Él es terrible! Terrible! La bestia está libre. Seiten Taisei les matará a todo!"

Another howl from behind them and the squirrel gave a shrill shriek, abandoning its cigarettes and running for the hills. Hakkai's eyes were wide as his fears were confirmed, and his hands shook where they clutched the fabric of his costume. Without warning, Hakkai sprung to his feet, turning towards the town again. All signs of intoxication seemed to have slipped from him, as he attempted to head back towards the city. Gojyo stood, catching his wrist and spinning him back to face him.

Hakkai struggled only briefly. "Let me go!"

"What the hell is going on, Hakkai!?" Gojyo's sudden outburst cut off Hakkai's response. He stayed silent for a moment, his rebellious gaze challenging Gojyo's cool glare, until his mask finally crumbled, and he turned away.

"Seiten Taisei is free. The creature Sanzo and I tried so hard to seal away is finally free again. I can't let it do the same damage it did two years ago!"

"But--!"

"I have to do this!" Hakkai screamed so suddenly it silence Gojyo's retort. The redhead's eyes were wide in disbelief as the brunet took a moment to calm himself. "I just… can't let what happened two years ago repeat itself."

Ripping his arm free of Gojyo's grasp, Hakkai briskly turned back to camp.

Gojyo watched him go for a moment, unable to find his voice when he needed it. Suddenly, he stepped forwards, calling out Hakkai's name and causing the brunet to pause. Placing on a cocky grin to hide his worry, he said, "I'm coming too."

Just as the worried look crossed green eyes, Gojyo was quick to add, "I'm not letting you go out on some life-threatening field trip alone, got it?" Shrugging his shoulders, Gojyo cast a glance down towards the ground. "Besides, I'm getting better at this damn Shakujou. I can protect myself."

Hakkai opened his mouth to protest, before he smiled and released a sigh through his nose. "Fine Gojyo, you can come," he said, causing the redhead to look up and grin. "But I'm not going alone."

Gojyo hurried next to the man, slowing his pace as the pair made their way back to camp. "What do you mean?" he asked.

Hakkai shot him a cocky little smirk. "We're going to find Sanzo."

---

"Seriously?!" the unusually high voice shouted, eyes widened to the point where it must've been painful. "We get to ride on those?!"

Sanzo simply nodded, adjusting the collar on his shirt as he stepped forwards. Sanzo had shed the robes of the Order, instead wearing a pair of dark pants that had been bound down by his ankles, and a Chinese style shirt. It clung to his form and accented his figure fashionably. The blond had only worn it to drive him crazy, Goku thought irritably, since he knew Sanzo wouldn't let him touch him in company. Sanzo's black-gloved hands wrapped securely around his gun, as he cast Goku a side-glance. After checking to make sure it was loaded, he placed it back into his belt and turned towards what looked like a large surf board.

As Goku took in the thing in front of him, he thought that it must have been a surf board. Though there was a small engine placed at the end of the board, and a sail that collapsed against it. There were no wheels, and certainly no water, so Goku could only wonder how the hell they were going to find Seiten Taisei on them.

"They're not large enough to be able to hold two people," Sanzo informed him. "So you'll have to learn to ride one yourself. They're pretty straight forwards, since they were made by the Order. But that still means you have to be careful," the blond instructed, stepping onto one of three boards that had been set out.

"Whoopee!" Gusei shouted, ruining the mood as he jumped on the other board. "I love Weight Boards. These are too much fun!" he squealed.

Goku watched in fascination as he stepped down on what looked to be a kickstand. The engine whirled to life, and the board hovered over the ground. Goku's eyes bulged as Gusei pulled up the sail like an expert, and yanked it back. The board suddenly surged, and he sped forward like a hover car. Yanking the sail upwards, Gusei turned up towards the sky, giving out hoots and hollers of joy as the board spiraled upwards.

Goku knew his jaw was hanging open. Turning his attention back towards Sanzo, he continued to gape. "How the hell am I supposed to be able to do that!?" he cried.

Sanzo allowed a small smirk to catch his lips as he stood on his own board. "It's easy," Sanzo assured, as he kicked down his own stand, and the engine on his board whirled to life. "Just go with the wind."

Pulling up his own sail, Sanzo pulled it upwards, shooting up towards the sky and whirling back to wait for Goku. The brunet cast an uneasy glance towards the board, before finally climbing aboard and kicking down the stand.

It took him several tries before the engine finally started. It hovered above the ground, as though waiting for its orders. Goku took a moment to regain his balance, nodding at himself. So far so good. He pulled up the sail, and grasped the bar. The engine rumbled, and Goku took a moment to try and figure out which way to pull the sail. Glancing upwards, he realized Gusei and Sanzo were waiting for him. Finally, he pulled the sail backwards, and with life the Weight Board shot upwards and forwards. Goku gave out a shriek of surprise, turning the sail right. He shot left with amazing speed, and Goku knew he was going to crash into something. Yanking it left in the hopes that it would stop, the board turned and spun right in tight little circles, making Goku sick.

"How do I stop this thing!?" Goku screamed, worrying he would fly off as the world around him turned into a blur of black.

"Whatever you do, don't let go of the sail!" Gusei cried cheerfully. "Unless you want to be flattened!"

Sanzo scowled at him, before turning back to the spinning brunet on the board. "Push the sail forwards and straighten up!" he commanded.

Goku grit his teeth, straightening his back and showing the sail forwards. The spinning abruptly stopped, and he simply hovered in the air. Goku felt sick, and was tempted to just vomit over the edge of the board, but remembered Gusei's warning of letting go and tightened his grip on the sail.

He wasn't sure when Gusei and Sanzo had landed next to him. "Where to, Sanzo?" Gusei asked cheerfully.

Sanzo's engine rumbled beneath him. "To the nearest forest. No doubt Seiten Taisei is headed for trees," twisting the sail; slightly, the board shook. "Come on, we have to hurry. We're in for a long trip."

Without warning, Sanzo twisted his sail and he shot forwards, sailing along the darkened sky like a golden angel of retribution. Gusei grinned, tightening his grip on the sail and twisting it, sailing along right after Sanzo.

Goku watched them go for a moment, holding back the bile on his tongue. "Oh boy…" he muttered, before turning the sail just as the others did, and flew through the sky after them.

---

"I knew I'd find a use for his someday…" Hakkai said as he hurried towards the spot where Gojyo and Betty were parked. Gojyo was tapping his foot against the ground irritably, while the large creature behind him snorted and grazed nearby. Hakkai quickly approached him through the glow of nearby tortures, holding a piece of paper with odd scribbles on it. It looked as though it had been through hell and back; covered in dirt and burnt in places.

"It's a seal Sanzo used a long time ago," Hakkai explained before Gojyo could ask, as he pulled Betty's reins closer to himself. He held the seal out as the creature's long nose sought it out, catching the scent that still clung to the paper. "Hopefully Betty can track down Sanzo's scent from the paper."

The animal suddenly roared, catching the scent of the one it was supposed to seek out. Hakkai made sure to hold the reins down to keep the animal from bolting off.

Gojyo frowned as he took in Hakkai's thoughtful expression. He watched the brunet hoist himself up on the animal, turning and holding a hand out to help Gojyo up. The redhead stepped forwards, grabbing his hand and squeezing. Hakkai shot him a confused glance as Gojyo stared through masked eyes.

"Hakkai," he said softly. "It's going to be all right."

Hakkai offered him a polite smile. "It's not that, Gojyo," he whispered, the glow of the firelight dancing across his face, making his eyes seem haunted. "It's just… he's been free for at least a day, possibly longer, considering we don't know when he was freed, but…"

Hakkai's sentence trailed off, as his eyes darted away in shame. Gojyo pressed his lips together tightly, as he ran his thumb across Hakkai's hand soothingly. "Come on, Hakkai, you can tell me."

"But… he hasn't done anything. There's been minimal carnage from a creature that's been harboring grudges against us for the last two years," his haunted gaze sought out Gojyo's in the dim light. "He's planning something, Gojyo. And I have a feeling that when his plan takes action, none of us are going to like it."

Gojyo hated to admit it, but Hakkai's words chilled something deep within the pit of his stomach; a part of him knew Hakkai was right.

* * *

Spanish Translations: (in order that they appear)

"Please!" "I need you to buy some of my cigarettes! I can't carry them all!"

"You're lying!" "Please, half price, for you!"

"The devil" "The monster will ruin us all. He's terrible! Terrible! The beast is free! Seiten Taisei will kill us all!"

C&C appreciated! And thank you to Eyes of Shinigami, who did the bet and the Spanish translations.


	15. Chapter Fourteen: Reunion

**Reflection **

**Chapter Fourteen: Reunion**

Goku, Sanzo and Gusei were all seated around the campfire, enjoying a simple meal before preparing to sleep. Gusei had offered to be the nightguard, and after a brief argument Sanzo decided to stay up as well. Sanzo still didn't trust him.

Goku felt more screwed up then ever. With the world in constant darkness his internal clock was all confused and it was messing with his head. He was tired but he couldn't sleep, hungry but unwilling to eat. He knew it wasn't good for him to be in such a state before they faced Seiten Taisei but he wasn't sure what to do.

He turned his tired eyes up to Sanzo and Gusei who sat across from him. Gusei was studying his nails or toying with his pendants, anything to keep himself occupied. Sanzo was studying the fire intently, his expression shadowed by the dancing firelight. He looked extremely tense, and Goku wished he could do something about it. If he tried anything with Gusei around Goku had a feeling that the blond might shoot him, so he stayed where he was.

"We're in a loop," Sanzo said simply, his tone low. Goku blinked, wondering what Sanzo meant before he realized he wasn't talking to him.

"Yup," Gusei said without looking up. He twirled the pendant shaped like a cross in his hands, seemingoccupied and very interested in what he was doing. "Have been for a while now."

Sanzo sighed, placing his head in his hands. "Fuck, could this get any worse? These things are fucking annoying."

"Now, now, Sanzo, don't pop a blood vessel."

"Shut up and die."

Goku blinked, completely lost in the situation. What the hell was a loop? "What are you talking about?" he asked simply, causing two pairs of eyes to turn to him. Goku suddenly wished he hadn't asked, as he felt his face growing hot at their scrutiny.

Instead of answering his question, Gusei stood. He walked around the fire with a soft smile on his face. "Goku, can I ask you something?" he asked.

Goku nodded, "Yeah, sure."

"You use a bo, correct?"

Goku frowned softly. "Yeah, why?"

Gusei simply smiled pulling out a small tooth-pick sized pole. It was red, from what Goku could see, and was held between Gusei's thumb and first finger. Goku looked at it for a moment, before giving Gusei a critical look. "That's not a bo," he said simply. "That is a sliver."

Gusei ignored the insult, holding it out in the palm of his hand. "This is a special bo," he said simply. "Its name is Nyoi-Bo. It's very powerful, and can shrink down to a tiny size for easy transport. Now, since we're going to face Seiten Taisei, I think it's best that you have a special weapon all your own." His brown eyes focused down on the tiny bo in his hands, and in a commanding voice, he said, "Nyoi-Bo, extend!"

Goku shouldn't be surprised by anything he saw in this world, really, but he felt his eyes widening as the bo in Gusei's hand stretched and thickened. It was four feet long, with nicks and marks all along the shaft. At each end was a golden ball, making the simple bo look absolutely beautiful. Gusei held it out to him, but when Goku reached for it, Gusei snatched it back.

"Now be careful, Goku," he said simply. "Nyoi-Bo can be very mean if she doesn't like you. For example…" a mischievous grin caught on Gusei's lips as he said, "Hey Sanzo!"

The man looked up reflexively, catching Nyoi-Bo on instinct when the man threw it to him. At first, it seemed like nothing was wrong, but suddenly Sanzo gasped, and was thrown to the desert ground with a thud. Nyoi-Bo lay on his chest, and despite Sanzo's curses and struggles, he couldn't lift it.

"Sanzo!" Goku gasped out, and before he even thought about it, he ran towards his lover and yanked the bo off of him. Sanzo gasped in air and coughed, glaring at Gusei with all his might.

"You're lucky, Sanzo," Gusei said cheerfully. "Sometimes if Nyoi-Bo doesn't like you, she'll crush you completely."

"Bastard!" Sanzo rasped out. "As soon as we get out of this loop, I'm killing you."

Gusei grinned, sticking his tongue out through his teeth. "I'd like to see you try, Sanzo."

Goku ignored them both, twirling Nyoi-Bo in his hands. The staff felt light and smooth in his grip and he could feel a smile catching on his lips as the staff shrunk back to its miniature length. "Nyoi-Bo, eh?" he muttered, looking at the toothpicklength bo in the palm of his hand. "I think we're going to get along famously."

The bo didn't reply.

---

Seiten Taisei sat hidden in the branches of the forest, breathing in life all around him. The branch he sat on was at least thirty stories from the ground below and the height gave him comfort. He hadn't been able to really move in the years that he was stuck in Sanzo's tiny little room. He rejoiced in the ability to move, to taste fresh air and to kill. However, more of that would come later. For now, Seiten rekindled his connection with the trees, his long time companions that he had missed dearly.

He spoke softly with the tree beneath him, relieved to finally have someone who could understand him. Even his 'companions' that had freed him from Sanzo's seal weren't able to understand them. He enjoyed the conversation immensely, and forgot how much he loved this simplecompanionship. Even if he was with other people or things, it wasn't the same if he couldn't speak with them.

He could sense the agitation and annoyance in his companions. They wanted to attack Capital City and wreak havoc; he could smell it on them. However, he couldn't, not yet. Slowly, the In-Betweens from all across the land were gathering, sensing his presence. Other monsters as well came to him, seeking revenge for lost lives and lost homes. Soon they would be able to strike Capital City, but Seiten Taisei still wanted to wait. As much as he hated working in groups, he knew that he would need as many reinforcements as possible. The Order was powerful, despite Seiten'sown strength.

Mostly, he was worried about Sanzo. He was the only real threat.

"I sense your worries, Little One," the tree told him in a voice that only Seiten could understand. "And I also see your fear. You have no reason to be ashamed. They are valid concerns."

Seiten snorted, turning his head away and crossing his arms over his chest. "Fears? I have no such fears," he snapped back quickly.

He heard a soft sound of amusement from the tree, which only served to cause Seiten to frown deeper. "You cannot lie to me, Little One," the tree said. When Seiten said nothing, the tree continued. "The earth speaks to me, and tells me that Sanzo is coming to seal you away again. What do you think, Little One?"

Seiten stayed silent for a moment longer, trailing a clawed hand over the bark gently. His eyes glazed over as he took in all the nooks and crannies in the tree's trunk. "What do I think…?" he said quietly. "I think my shadow has to die, or I will." He rested his head against the large trunk of the tree with a soft sigh. "Will you help me, Old One?" When the tree didn't reply, Seiten went on. "He isn't natural. He doesn't belong here. He's killing me and he's… he's taking what's mine…"

He gripped the sides of the bark, and he could distantly hear the sounds of the Tree comforting him. His rage began to take hold, and he pushed his claws into the thick bark of the tree. He knew he wasn't hurting it, knowing it could take much more then that.

"I am not going to lose to Goku…" Seiten mumbled, letting his muscles sag. He knew that they were coming, but perhaps that was all right. He could prove to Sanzo that Goku was useless. He could prove that he should be the one who was loved, held close and fucked like an animal. He didn't care if Sanzo only wanted Goku; he no longer had a choice in the matter.

Seiten would make Sanzo his, even if he had to kill him in the process.

---

Goku was woken late that morning by Gusei. Every muscle in Goku's body was sore, but he had slept through the night without waking, so it wasn't a complete loss. He slowly sat up and yawned, gazing out over the darkened land. It felt weird, knowing that the sun wouldn't rise for a full year. The entire place felt dark and dreary without sunlight. Slowly, the young man rose to his feet. The fire that they had started the night before was slowly burning down to the embers, giving Goku a creepy feeling. The darkness seemed to close in all around him, and he didn't like it.

Turning to look upwards, Goku found himself grateful for the stars that lit the night sky. There was no moon, but at least with the starlight the world wouldn't be completely dark. He turned his attention to Gusei and Sanzo, helping them clean up the camp. Once everything was put away, Goku was prepared to hop on the boards and continue along their way, and was surprised when Gusei and Sanzo began walking.

The blond looked surprisingly tense that morning. He walked ahead of the other two, a cigarette hanging loosely in his lips and his eyes directed downwards. Occasionally, he would scuff at the ground with his boot before he kept walking.

Goku came to stand next to Gusei, his bag heavy on his back as he watched Sanzo wearily. The Weight Boards followed after them, hovering above the ground only a foot or so. Like everything else in the strange world, the boards seemed to have minds of their own and they followed behind like obedient puppies. Goku rolled his eyes and focused up at Gusei, who seemed to be lost in thought.

"Why are we walking?" Goku complained lightly. "I mean, it's not that I like the boards or anything, but wouldn't it be faster if we flew to the forest?"

Gusei looked down at him, blinking curiously. He let a smile catch his lips as he turned back to looking forwards. "It's because we're stuck in a loop," he said simply.

"A loop?" Goku questioned.

If Gusei thought his lack of knowledge was suspicious, he didn't say anything about it. "A loop is a kind of monster that traps travelers. It literally loops the terrain together, and the travelers wander endlessly until their supplies run out and they collapse from exhaustion. Only when the travelers are too weak to move does the loop swoop in and devour them."

Goku wrinkled his nose. "Ugh. So how do we get out of this thing?" he asked, shifting the bag when it began to dig into his shoulders.

"Well, you find the crease where the land starts to repeat itself, and drive the loop out. Then it's pretty easy to kill," he nodded towards Sanzo, where the blond was kneeling in the sand a few yards away. "It looks like Sanzo's found the crease. C'mon."

Shifting his own bag, Gusei hurried to catch up with Sanzo. Despite the unease Goku felt around Gusei, he tried to relax around the man. There was something achingly familiar about him that set off alarms in Goku's head. He brushed it off as he hurried next to Sanzo and Gusei.

"I found the loop," Sanzo said, standing. When Goku looked closely, he realized that he could see a faint black line running just beneath the desert sand. It would be hard to see if you weren't looking for it.

"I am not killing it," Gusei muttered, placing his hands on his hips. "It almost feels degrading."

"Goku can kill it," Sanzo said decisively, causing the youth's eyes to widen in surprise. However, before he had the chance to protest, Sanzo dug out something from his bag. He strained the paper talisman that had been crumpled in his bag, before letting it drop on the black line.

There was a high pitched squeal before the vast expanse of desert before them disappeared, revealing mountains in the distance, and the faint outline of a forest. Before them sat a small little goblin like creature. It had scrawny little arms and legs, with long sharp claws at the end of each finger. It was bald, with flattened ears sticking off the top of its head. It could only be about a foot high, looking slightly disoriented.

Its beady little red eyes settled on them, and it hissed, showing rows of sharp little fangs. Suddenly, it lunged at Goku, and without thinking Goku called on the Nyoi-Bo. He cracked it on the side of the things head and with a squeal, it disappeared.

Goku blinked. "Did I… kill it?" he asked simply.

"Yup," Gusei said, stiffening his chuckles. "Pathetic, isn't it?"

Goku could feel a bit of guilt forming in his chest, feeling as though he should apologize for killing it. Really, he thought it would put up more of a fight then that. However, a nearby voice caused him to freeze.

"Hey! Monkey boy!"

Goku whirled around, coming face to face with a large creature that looked similar to an ant-eater. However, he ignored the large creature in favor of who sat on its back.

"Gojyo!" Goku exclaimed happily, watching his friend slide from the creature's back. Gojyo's long red hair was tied back, and a headband ran along his forehead. He wore loose, comfortable clothes that were streaked with dirt. Goku rushed forwards, dropping Nyoi-Bo and his bag to the ground to envelope his friend in a hug. Gojyo held him tightly, lifting him off the ground while Goku kicked out of his legs. "Put me down, you're going to kill me!" Goku whined, able to stop laughing when Gojyo finally released him.

"Man, it's been forever," Gojyo said, placing a hand atop his head. "How have you been, pipsqueak?"

"Me?" Goku laughed, shoving him in the arm. "It looks like you just rolled through a pile of dirt."

"When you travel across the desert you get dirty, monkey boy!"

"Don't call me that!"

Hakkai couldn't stop the laugh that broke through his throat at the two boys in front of him. Gojyo had told him about Goku, but he had yet to meet the boy personally. Deciding that could wait until later, he slid from Betty's back and landed with a thud in the sand. He turned to face Sanzo, who seemed to be making an attempt to ignore him.

"It's been a while, Sanzo," Hakkai said simply, taking his glasses and cleaning them of the dirt that had gathered over their travels. "Have you been well?"

Sanzo took a deep drag from his cigarette, finally focusing his violet eyes on him. "Cut the bullshit, Hakkai. What are you doing here?" he snapped.

Hakkai raised an eyebrow, as though he didn't buy Sanzo's irritation in the least. "What am I doing here? I've come to help you deal with Seiten Taisei. I do believe this has to do with me as well, considering I did help you last time."

Sanzo remembered well. If it wasn't for Hakkai's healing abilities, he probably would've died ten times over again. For that reason alone, he didn't order Hakkai to leave them. He turned his head to the side, finishing his cigarette before dropping it to the ground and crushing it beneath his boot. "Whatever. Just don't get in my way," he said simply.

Hakkai smiled softly. "Of course not, Sanzo," he muttered.

The sound of someone clearing their voice caught their attention, and the group turned to face Gusei. The man smiled broadly, his hood pushed back so they could catch sight of his deep brown eyes and sun-kissed hair that framed his pale face. "To those who don't know me, my name is Gusei and I am utterly at your disposal," he bowed foppishly, causing his hood to snap back and cover his head once again. When he came back up, his hood covered the top half of his face, only leaving his mouth visible. His lips curled into a smirk, and he gestured towards the woods in the distance. "Now if we're done with the greetings, then I think we had better hurry. The show is about to begin, after all."

The woods in the distance seemed overly ominous, and Goku took a calming breath. He prayed to whatever gods were in heaven that this all went well.

He didn't even want to think about what would happen if they couldn't stop Seiten Taisei. He didn't want to think about the lost lives, the lost homes.

Mostly, he didn't want to think about what would happen if he lost Sanzo to his reflection.

* * *

**A/N: **I just wanted to apologize for taking so long to update. My life has been crazy lately, and I also wanted to thank everyone who's sticking with me. It means a lot to me.

C&C appreciated.


	16. Chapter Fifteen: Worlds Protection Agent

**Reflection **

**Chapter Fifteen: Worlds Protection Agent**

Goku did not like this. He didn't like it one bit. The five of them slowly began to head into the mass of trees, and Goku could feel the apprehension creeping up his spine. Despite himselfthe situation,he wanted to turn and run. He didn't like the idea of facing Seiten Taisei on his own turf. Something told him that it would end very badly.

Goku had been surprised when Sanzo hadn't put up much of a fight after seeing Gojyo and Hakkai. He had expected the man to be as stubborn as usual and refuse help, and when he allowed the other two to travel with them, Goku felt his eyes widen. Seeing Sanzo so casually accept made him wonder how powerful Seiten Taisei truly was. He tried not to dwell on it, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get it out of his head. Could they really stop this monster? Goku had heard stories of thousands falling to Seiten Taisei's hand and could only wonder how the five of them would fare against him.

He tried to focus on the fact that Sanzo and Hakkai had sealed Seiten away once before. With more help they could do it again, easily. Still, his doubt and fear continued to resurface.

Goku stuck close to Gojyo, hoping his familiar presence would calm him down. It seemed to be failing as the tension vibrated between the two men.

They entered the forest as a group, slowly walking deeper and deeper into the trees. The entire place was silent;no chattering of birds, no movement of animals, not even the wind through the trees. Goku found himself holding his breath, wishing for some sort of action or movement to break the tension.

"Be careful," Sanzo said, his voice loud in the deadly silence. "Anything could be our enemy."

As though to spite his words, there was a loud creaking. It was so familiar that chills wound up Goku's spine. Then, without warning, four branches lunged out, each grabbing a member of the party and yanking them straight into the foliage in separate directions.

"Shit!"

"Ahh!"

"Gojyo!"

"Mother fucker!"

Goku was ripped through the branches, leaves and branches scratching every bit of bare skin. The thin branch that was wrapped around his ankle wouldn't come loose, no matter how hard Goku pulled and twisted.

The area was left empty, leaving no one but Gusei standing in the clearing, frowning irritably. His hood was pushed back, looking to where the other four men had been dragged off to. "What, I don't get to play?" he whined to no one in particular, a small smile catching on his lips. "Now I don'tfeel special."

--

Gojyo had finally been released after he had been dragged every which way. The tree branch let go of his wrist after an eternity, and he slammed into a tree branch. Cursing colorfully under his breath, he slowly got to his feet, and held an arm across his stomach as he tried to catch his breath. He had no idea what the trees' problem was, but if one tried to touch him again he was setting it on fire.

He slowly made his way across the branch, he paused. The trees all around him were groaning softly, as though speaking to one another. They didn't move, but overhead their branches tangled together, creating a sort of roof over the forest. It cut off the starlight and Gojyo found himself in darkness. He could make out some things, but it felt like everything trailed on into nothingness. A shiver crawled up his spine, but he tried to ignore it. He glanced around in the shadows creeping over twined branches and tried to figure out how he was going to find everyone else. He didn't like the idea of leaving Hakkai or Goku alone in these woods. Though he was pretty sure Sanzo could take care of himself.

Slowly, Gojyo turned, wondering how he could get down from the tree he was stuck in. He didn't even want to imagine how high up he was.

However, he didn't have to worry about it for long, as someone stepped towards him. He raised his shakujou, whirling around the face his enemy. What he saw made him pause.

The man in front of him was wearing a long coat, embodied with gold and silver designs. There was a liquor bottle strapped to his belt, and his chest was bare, open to Gojyo's view. However, his face was what drew Gojyo's attention. He felt like he was looking into a living mirror. Clipped hair spread out over his face, and his narrowed eyes watched Gojyo's every move.

With a charming smile, Kenren held up his hand for a makeshift wave. "Yo Gojyo," the man said. He cracked a wide smile, finding it amusing. "I assume we have a bit to talk about."

--

Hakkai didn't know where he was, but he wanted to find everyone as soon as possible. He didn't know why he had been so stupid, so careless. They had never really faced Seiten Taisei in the trees before, and Hakkai hadn't even considered the fact that he might befriend the trees. Still, there was no use in complaining about it now. He had to find Gojyo; he didn't like the idea of leaving the man alone in this mess.

He stepped over the mossy ground, watching as the bushes and plants on the ground tried to get close to him. All he had to do was channel chi into his feet, and the plants shrunk back immediately. He'd managed to get the tree to let go of him rather quickly,byusing his chi to burn it, but no one else had that luxury. Now, he was stuck wondering the forest, looking for his friends. He simply hoped that none of them were attacked by Seiten Taisei_._

However, he paused when he heard the bushes rustling. He turned, half expecting the creature himself to charge at him, and was surprised when Sanzo stumbled through. He looked disheveled, with twigs and leaves caught in his hair. He was covered in little nicks and scratches, and when he looked up at Hakkai, his eyes lightened.

"Hakkai? Damnit, about time I found you," he said, pulling things from his hair as he stepped towards the man. "Have you seen Goku? I'm worried about him."

Hakkai's eyes narrowed suspiciously. Immediate anger flashed through him, and it showed in his voice. "You're not Sanzo," he said simply.

Violet eyes clouded as his brows drew together. "Of course I'm Sanzo," the blond snapped, crossing his arms over his chest. "Who the hell do you think I am?"

Hakkai smiled kindly, even while his hands began to charge a chi blast. "The real Sanzo," he said, watching the fear draw into the imposter's face. "Would've never admitted being worried about anybody."

With a single shot, the form of Sanzo before him disintegrated. Hakkai sighed as he leaned back on his heels, trying not to feel vaguely satisfied after destroying Sanzo's imposter. He knew that the trees were creating illusions, trying to fool them. He was all too used to this routine.

With a sigh, he turned on his heel and continued on his way.

--

Kenren looked smug as he stood in front of Gojyo, his hands on his hips and a sly grin on his face. His eyes narrowed as he took several more steps towards Gojyo. The redhead was frozen as he watched his reflection approach. "I finally found you, you son of a bitch," Kenren swore. "Now I can finally kill you, and Hakkai can take me back. We can finally be together again and Hakkai can be happy."

Suddenly, all shock was gone as Gojyo narrowed his eyes. He could feel anger coursing through him at the figure. "Hakkai is happy, so fuck off and go back to being dead," he snarled.

Kenren threw his head back and let out a bellowing laugh. "Don't be a fool, Gojyo. Hakkai merely replaced me. When I come back to him, he'll finally be happy, not like he really cares about you." Kenren waved his hand dismissively. "The slut never could do anything without me."

Suddenly, the anger coursing through Gojyo's veins turned to blinding hatred as he swung out his Shakujou. "Don't you _dare_ talk about Hakkai like that!" he roared, watching as the crescent blade ripped through Kenren's form. The illusion gave out a scream, before he disappeared.

Gojyo suddenly found himself alone, and he couldn't stop the small smile that pulled at his lips. "Hakkai is happy, and I'll make sure he stays that way," he said softly.

There was a sound behind him, and when he turned around. He found Sanzo curling around the trunk of a tree. He looked extremely annoyed, a cigarette hanging in his lips as his eyes suddenly landed on him. He looked like he'd had a tough time with the trees, as he was covered in dirt and scratches, and his hair was in tangles. When Sanzo spotted him, he cursed. "Fuck, how many more of these do I have to shoot today?" Then he pulled out his gun.

Gojyo yelped and dove to the side, narrowly dodging the bullets. He glared up at the man when Sanzo paused to reload calmly. It looked as though he didn't even care that Gojyo was there. Gojyo swore he was going to kill him. "You fucking lunatic!" he roared, jumping to his feet. Sanzo looked up at him and blinked. "Are you _trying_ to kill me?"

Sanzo stared, unconvinced. "If you're the real Gojyo, then what's my middle name?" he asked calmly.

Gojyo sputtered, unable to come up with a coherent sentence as he stared at Sanzo. "I've known you for less than an hour!" he yelled. "How the fuck am I supposed to know that?!"

Sanzo blinked again slowly, taking the cigarette from his mouth and crushing it beneath his boot. "So you are the real Gojyo," he said simply, turning and making his way past Gojyo towards the entwining branches not far off.

Gojyo stared, flabbergasted. After snapping out of his daze, he stomped after Sanzo. "Of course I'm the real Gojyo, you son of a bitch! Hey! Come back here! I'm not finished with you yet! Fucking hormonal blonds with guns..."

More shots were fired.

--

Goku hurt.

He'd suffered worse before, but that still didn't stop the fact that he hurt. He'd fallen quite a ways when the branch finally dropped him, and he was sure two of his fingers were broken. He had landed awkwardly on his arm, and he was lucky that his fingers were all that had broken. He had a cut on the side of his head that leaked blood down the side of his face and into his shirt. It had already stopped bleeding, but it matted his hair together on the side of his face. Not to mention it gave him one hell of a headache.

He clutched Nyoi-bo to him as he made his way along the twisted branches that felt like suspended bridges. He wasn't that high off the ground, he knew, since he had fallen through the trees when the branch had first released him. Still, he was high enough that it made Goku nervous.

He was able to walk without support, and could still grip his Nyoi-bo despite the pain that coursed through his hand when he did so. He was terrified of meeting Seiten Taisei, but he was also ready. If he was going to die, he was going to put up one hell of a fight. He wasn't about to give into Seiten that easily.

He was surprised when Gusei almost appeared out of nowhere. The man had called his name with a cheery smile, nearly giving Goku a heart attack. "Gusei!" he cried. "What the hell are you doing here?"

It was a stupid question, which was probably why Gusei didn't answer him. Instead, the man's brow furrowed, studying the injuries he'd sustained. "Man, Goku, looks like you took an awful tumble. C'mon, I can help you with that."

Though Goku was reluctant, he stepped forwards and let the man treat him. Gusei took out his bag, giving Goku a bottle of water that the boy took a drink from, and then used the rest to clean the blood from the side of his face. Gusei worked as gently as possible splinting his fingers, and Goku managed to bite back any yelps of pain he might've had. When they were finished, Gusei and Goku sat back, enjoying some dried meat that Gusei had brought with him. Goku was grateful, and ate it hungrily.

"I'm glad I ran into you," Goku said suddenly, swallowing the last of the meat Gusei had given him. "But… I mean… shouldn't we be looking for Sanzo and them? What if Seiten Taisei finds them?"

Gusei stayed silent for a moment, before he finally leaned forwards, placing his elbows to his knees. "Goku, I have to be honest with you," he said suddenly, causing Goku's brows to furrow. "My name is Gusei Fujiniska and I am a Worlds Protection Agent."

Goku's brows furrowed in confusion. "'Worlds Protection Agent' don't you mean 'World'?" he asked.

Gusei shook his head, reaching into his coat and pulling out a simply metal badge. He held it out for Goku to see, and when Gusei pressed a small button, a hologram of the man appeared before him. It was miniature, and Goku reeled back suddenly. "This badge belongs to Gusei Fujiniska, Worlds Protection Agent #4469," the hologram of Gusei told him, before giving a cheeky smile and disappearing. Goku could only blink;he hadn't seen that type of technology in this world before. His eyes flickered up to Gusei, and the man gave a smile.

"Now, my job is to, pretty much, keep the order of the worlds. My world is something called the Border. It's pretty much a big business. You're raised to do your job, and one of the most popular jobs is working for the Worlds Protection Agency. I'm one of about sixteen others that travel through the borders and makes sure the worlds stay together. The bus, which is how you got here, is also a part of our agency, however…"

He paused, and Goku blinked, trying to take in all the information. "Someone screwed up on your paperwork, Goku," Gusei told him. "You were never supposed to come to the Mirror. Earth and the Mirror are worlds that mimic each other, despite its distortion. One of the most important things is that reflections must never come in contact with each other. It's a huge rule in the ministry. Gojyo was supposed to come here, because his reflection had already died. When Konzen slipped into a coma, Sanzo was permitted across to Earth as well. But you were never supposed to come here."

Gusei looked thoughtful as he sat back. "It's nothing big; I'm not going to send you back. You need to learn the lesson this world has to teach you, and it's not like you can get back without paying your price anyway." Gusei's voice went soft and his eyes seemed distant before they flickered back to Goku's face. "But I can't let you come in contact with Seiten Taisei. Bad things will happen, and I can't allow that. So you and me around going to chill out for a little while. When Sanzo has fully captured Seiten Taisei, then we can all head back to Capital City, understand?"

Goku's brows furrowed suddenly, and when Gusei stood to stretch, he bounded to his feet. "Wait a minute. So Seiten Taisei and I aren't supposed to come in contact with each other, or bad things will happen, right?"

Gusei nodded. "That's right."

"That doesn't make any sense though," Goku said, eyes focusing stubbornly on the man. "Seiten Taisei and I have come in contact a few times already. He already nearly killed me once, but nothing horrible happened."

Gusei flipped around, eyes widened to the point where it must've been painful. "Wait, you've already come in contact with him?"

Goku nodded. "Yeah…." He seemed skeptical as he watched Gusei. "Nothing bad happened, so there's nothing to worry about."

Gusei cursed, tangling his fingers in his hair and muttering softly to himself about staying away too long. Finally, he turned back to Goku, his eyes saddened and looking very glum. With a sigh, he said, "You've dug a very deep hole, Goku. I just hope you have the strength to get out of it."

Before Goku could even ask him what he meant by that, a rough hand to his shoulder shoved him backwards. He stumbled, surprised, giving out a shriek in surprise when his foot suddenly met air and he was falling.

For the second time, Goku found himself plunging to his death. Only this time, he doubted Sanzo would be there to break his fall.


	17. Chapter Sixteen: Hitting Bottom

**Reflection **

**Chapter Sixteen: Hitting Bottom**

Goku was falling fast.

He grit his teeth, clutching Niyo-Bo tightly in his hand. The staff had shrunk to a small, hand-held stick, and he could practically feel it quivering. The staff had nothing to worry about, it was Goku who was going to be flattened into nothing.

Goku cursed repeatedly. He'd been in this situation before, and he had been so terrified that he had fainted during the fall. If it hadn't been for Sanzo, then he would've died. However, he was a different person now, and despite his fear, he couldn't depend on Sanzo to save him a second time. He had to save himself.

"Niyo-Bo, extend!" he screamed, watching the rapidly approaching ground below. The staff responded at the direct command, extending to impossible lengths. One end caught a knot in a tree, and Goku jolted to the side. Niyo-Bo shrunk back before it snapped, which left Goku reeling to the side. It was enough, however, as his chest hit a smaller branch and he was able to grab onto it. The wind had been knocked from him, and he scrambled to get a better grip, his legs kicking out below him. He could feel himself slipping, his bare arms scraping across the hard surface of the bark. He could feel his fingers bleeding as he scrambled to grip the branch securely.

He finally slipped, landing to the ground below. Luckily, it wasn't that far of a fall, and he hit the ground soundly on his back. For a second time the wind was pushed from his lungs and he was left gasping on the ground.

For a moment, he didn't move. He took in deep, strangled breaths, relieved that it didn't pain him too much. He had survived the fall mostly unharmed. He had a headache, his back and chest hurt, and his fingers throbbed fiercely, but otherwise he was all right. He let his golden eyes slide closed, a grin crossing his lips. He knew he should hurry up and move, but at the moment he was too dizzy to bother to try and stand up.

After what felt like forever, Goku slowly pushed himself to sit up. Niyo-Bo was clutched in his hand, having shrunk back to minimal size. He slipped it into his pocket, and glanced around. The darkness closed in all around him, but he was still able to see, light granted by the dim starlight that leaked through the twined branches overhead. Seated against a massive root, not far away, was Seiten Taisei.

The creature was weakened. Goku could see that without even having to study him. He could see the sweat that dotted the demon's brow, watching as its glazed eyes focused on him. His hands hung uselessly at his sides, his fingers twitching as though he wanted to strike. His body was completely limp, and he looked like a doll that had been cast aside by its owner.

Goku was mesmerized, and for once, the overpowering feeling that he was going to die did not come. He felt at peace, and when he saw the sorrow and pain reflected in Seiten's deep golden eyes, he could feel the pain mirrored in himself. The sight of the great beast so weak made Goku pity him.

Goku slowly got to his feet, stumbling before regaining his equilibrium. With his eyes glued to his reflection's, he took a tentative step forwards.

---

Seiten had been more then a little surprised at his sudden immobility. When he had gotten up that morning, everything hurt. Suddenly, the life he had been living on was draining away. He had panicked, knowing that Sanzo was coming for him. As weak as a kitten, he would be caught instantly. Then, it began to dawn on him that it didn't matter anymore. If he failed, then he was going to die. He had to do everything in his power to kill Goku. Though he still hadn't lost all his strength yet, it was disappearing quickly. At this rate, by late afternoon, he would be dead.

When he had been alerted to Sanzo's arrival, he merely told the tree to separate them. He could find Goku and kill him personally. He had taken a break as he was heading towards where Goku resided; he had been too exhausted to move, and had slumped down next to the root of an old tree. The tree told him that Goku was rapidly approaching even as he watched the youth drop from a tree branch. He slammed hard down on his back, the wind knocked from his lungs. Seiten wanted nothing more then to spring to his feet and slash his throat before the young boy got to his feet, but when he tried to he fell back against the tree with a thump.

He opted for glaring as Goku slowly got to his feet. Seiten watched those golden eyes settle on him, so similar to his own that it made him angry. He wanted to kill this boy so badly he ached; his body shook and he saw red as he envisioned bathing in the boy's blood. He had never felt such a brutal hatred towards anyone before he'd set eyes on Goku. The boy had stolen everything from him—unknowingly—and had the audacity to even want to befriend him. Seiten was beyond furious; he was trembling with pure, unleashed rage.

Goku's eyes flickered down his form before finally resting on his face. Goku was afraid—that much was obvious—but the fear had dwindled from precious encounters, and the confidence that radiated from him was new. Seiten watched as the boy took a deep breath, facing him fully. "Seiten…" he said slowly. "I don't want to fight you…"

That did it. The kind, caring tone made Seiten sick to his stomach, and so without thought, he lunged off the ground. Claws and teeth were bared, searching for flesh to tear and rip. Goku was caught off-guard, a look of surprise catching his features a second before Seiten shoved him back to the ground.

From there, Seiten was desperate. He tore and bit at any amount of flesh he could. He needed to steal more of Goku's life force; he had to absorb before being absorbed.

He managed to do a fair bit of damage, if the scent in the air was any indication. Blood splattered on his tongue and he rejoiced, latching his mouth onto the spot and sucking joyfully.

However, a blow to the side of his head caused him to reel, and a second sent him sprawling to the ground with a gasp. His vision danced as he tried to blink it all clear, wondering what had hit him. He recovered quicker then normal, his strength momentarily increased thanks to the blood on his tongue.

Seiten leapt to his feet, a growl escaping his lips as watched Goku. He was surprised to see the boy taking up a fighting stance, a large red staff held out and pointed threateningly at him. Slashes adorned Goku's arms and chest, a particularly cruel mark curling around his brow and leaking blood down the side of his face. Despite everything, Goku looked calm and confident about himself. It was a frightening contrast to the whimpering mess he'd encountered before. The powerful look in his eyes reminded Seiten of himself when he was eons younger.

Seiten wasted no words, instead lunging out at the other man again. He managed to avoid the first strike, but the second time the end of Goku's Niyo-Bo caught him under the chin. Just as he was regaining his balance, a third blow caught him on the ribs, and he went sprawling back to the mossy ground.

Seiten lay still for a moment, dragging in ragged breaths as he tried to regain control. The blows Goku delivered were assured and astoundingly painful. Seiten knew it was impossible for all of it to be Goku's strength; but in fact, it was his own power being used against him. The longer Goku spent in his world, the more life was sucked from Seiten's body and transferred into Goku's. It had initialized when they had first come in contact with each other, but even Goku's presence in the world had affected him worse then he could've imagined. If he didn't steal Goku's life from him soon, then Seiten would cease to exist.

He lunged again, hoping to get close, but was met with a powerful blow from Goku's Niyo-Bo. Again he found himself tossed back towards the ground. Seiten felt pathetic; never had he been somebody's plaything, yet here he was, being beaten by a mortal. His strength was weakening, and he knew that just being so close to Goku was sucking away his life. Breathing was difficult, his skin warred between hot and cold and his quivering muscles threatened to give out on him every time he stood.

Goku seemed slightly uncomfortable but patient as he watched Seiten attack him again and again. He didn't attack Seiten, merely beating him away when Seiten got too close. He wished that Goku would just kill him already, instead of letting him endure this humiliation. He was tired of being weak, tired of watching his mate walk away with someone who looked just like him.

He was just tired.

When he hit the ground for the final time, he didn't get up right away. He lay motionless, lying face down in the moss, feeling broken and defeated. Each strangled breath came at the cost of a sharp jab, and he could feel his muscles deteriorating. He'd suffered similar pain when he was trapped in Sanzo's room, but instead of the gradual breakdown of his muscles, it felt like everything was shutting down at once. It hurt to move, hurt to breath, hurt to just lie there.

Was this what it felt like to die?

A branch curled down around him and helped him to his feet. He wanted to shrug the tree off of him; however he found his knees shaking and knew he wouldn't be able to stand without it. Goku watched him, a mixture of confusion and guilt colliding in his eyes. Blood trickled down his face, soaking into the collar of his shirt. It was a strange look from the pampered human. Seiten hated it.

Seiten managed to collect the strength to shrug off the tree branch and lunge at the boy. He was shocked when Niyo-Bo didn't crack against his head; it appeared Goku realized how weak he really was. He collapsed into Goku's chest, arms gripping his shoulders tightly when his knees gave out under him. Goku helped steady him with strong arms grasping his; there was nothing intimate about the touch, and Seiten was glad for it. He shook, the pain so intense that it dotted away his vision until he could barely see the darker streaks of blood staining Goku's clothes. He knew that being this close to his reflection would only cause him to die faster, but Seiten was finished. He couldn't run from it anymore. He was going to die no matter how hard he fought.

His shoulders shook and he could feel frustrated tears stinging his eyes. It wasn't fair; life wasn't fair. Everything seemed to go wrong right from the start. He could remember over one thousand years ago when he'd been stupid, a nymph had tricked him into a cave which put him to sleep for over a thousand years. When he awoke, he had been blinded by rage and sorrow, knowing that the life he had lived was gone—the people he had loved were gone—and he had to start all over again. However, what was worse was what had awoken him. Creatures—men—were tearing up the trees—his friends. He could hear their anguish as they died, and suddenly Seiten had understood what had awoken him.

He did everything he could to stop the death of his friends. Apparently the people had forgotten how to listen to the trees, and now he was the only one who could hear them. For that reason only, he became their protector. He saved lives, homes, and because of that, he was dubbed a leader. An In-Between to lead all others. It had surprised and enticed him, and he had led a battle against Capital City. However, he hadn't counted on Sanzo, who had found a way to stop him. He had been in his prime, the best time of his life and then once again he found himself locked away.

However, some good came out of it. He came to love and honor his keeper, deciding that the blond-haired man would be his mate. He despised the language barrier, and although he could understand Sanzo, Sanzo couldn't understand him.

Then, his shadow, his reflection—Goku—had shown up. And now, despite it all, despite everything he had done to try and prevent it, he was dying. He wanted to cry; what had he ever done wrong? Sure, there was blood on his hands, but wasn't there blood on everyone's hands? He had done it for a good cause; he was trying to save those important to him, trying to reclaim his life. Despite everything he had done, it didn't matter now. Everything he had done had been in vain—his _life_ had been in vain. What was the point of living in the first place? He had never found much happiness in it anyway.

Karma better make up for this, or he swore hell on the goddess and her son.

He gripped Goku's shoulders tightly, claws digging welts into his skin, but still he didn't bother to dislodge the contact. Seiten wondered what was going through Goku's head, but reasoned that Goku understood he wasn't going to be able to do much by that point. He didn't have the strength to drive his claws deep enough to cause a fatal injury.

"I-I'm s-sick of i-it," Seiten stuttered, surprising himself by how difficult it was to speak. His voice sounded used and broken; he was a stranger to his own ears. His eyes slid closed, pain swelling from so many places it was impossible to determine what hurt the most. It seemed pointless now to try and steal back the life that had been stolen from him, as it would only delay his imminent death.

"T-take care o-o-of… h-him," Seiten mumbled weakly, feeling himself slipping.

There was a pause, and he could hear the surprise in Goku's tone as he said, "I will."

Seiten could feel the last of his life bleeding away from him as his eyelids fluttered half open. The tension in his muscles slowly began to bleed away and he could feel himself slipping out of Goku's embrace. The pain and consciousness all began to melt away and he felt himself falling into nothingness.

_I loved you, Sanzo. I really did. _

Seiten Taisei fell into blackness and knew nothing.

---

Sanzo was almost out of cigarettes.

He was tired of circling around hundreds of trees in the thick, groggy afternoon. He'd already had to shoot numerous illusions of several of his party members, and now he was searching for Goku, Hakkai and Gusei, while Gojyo trailed after him slowly. Gusei he could care less about, but he didn't like the idea of being separated. Not like he cared about any of them, but if Goku was killed before the Order decided what to do with him, then Sanzo would have to face the consequences.

He took another drag from his cigarette, putting it out on the heel of his boot before continuing on. Gojyo trailed after him silently, and he could sense the worry off the other man. Sanzo wasn't sure he liked it, but was at least glad the redhead had shut up.

They walked along the mossy ground slowly; it had taken them over an hour to get off the high tree branches. They had found a sort of ladder that had been carved into the bark, probably used by some inhabitant of the forest that had lived there ages ago. Whoever it was that had used the ladders had been gone for a long time, not that Sanzo was complaining.

When they rounded another curve, Sanzo had to stop before he bumped right into Hakkai. He blinked, stepping back and drawing his gun. Hakkai froze, but there was no fear on his features. He was reluctant to believe he had finally found the real Hakkai, as he'd already shot six more exactly like him. The trees were constant pranksters, and Sanzo was more than a little tired of their game.

"Sanzo," Hakkai said pleasantly, his eyes glinting behind his glasses. Hakkai didn't appreciate having the gun pointed at him, but wasn't about to disarm the Order member.

"Hakkai," Sanzo replied simply, nodding. His eyes narrowed when Hakkai didn't ask him the question first, the other man patiently waiting. "What do I hate most?" Sanzo said suddenly, cocking a brow as he watched Hakkai blink.

"I'm not answering that," Hakkai said honestly. "I know the answer to that, and if I answer correctly you'll kill me."

"Hm," Sanzo replied simply, thinking up another question. "What was my grandfather's name?"

"I don't know," Hakkai replied honestly. Sanzo nodded—a slight movement of his head—before he lowered his gun.

"I'm lost!" Gojyo proclaimed loudly after a moment, stepping up next to Hakkai and glancing between the pair of men. "I understand if you're trying to figure out which person is real or an illusion, but seriously, shouldn't you ask a question the person knows? Instead of asking questions they don't know?"

Sanzo glanced at him, sharp violet eyes narrowed in contempt as he turned and continued through the mossy foliage. Gojyo turned his attention back to Hakkai, a brow raised in question. Hakkai gave a tired smile, and the pair fell in step behind Sanzo. "Trees are old creatures, Gojyo," Hakkai replied logically. Gojyo followed Hakkai's gaze upwards, taking in the huge trees that stretched up into the sky, with long, spindly branches that could touch the heavens. "These, for example are probably several thousands of years old. Things that old know things, Gojyo. So if you asked an illusion a question only the person their imitating would know—"

"Then they'll have the right answer," Gojyo finished for himself, nodding in understanding. "But, shouldn't it be easy for them to say they didn't know?" he inquired.

Hakkai shook his head. "Trees are very proud creatures. They don't like to admit they don't know something if they do. I have never met a tree who hasn't given me the right answer."

Gojyo smirked, hanging his head. "I see," he said, a small smile curling on his lips. He was tempted to tell Hakkai that where he was from, trees didn't talk, or move, or cast illusions. But, he had to remind himself that Hakkai didn't know where he was from, and he wasn't sure he wanted to tell him just yet.

Sanzo snorted at the pair behind him, turning and continuing through the overgrowth of trees and foliage. It was nearly sickening. He stepped over another root, pushing away a vine that curled too close to him and kicking away a rock that tried to latch onto his boot. This was what he knew. He knew how to handle these kinds of creatures, but when he went behind the mirror, he hadn't known what to expect. He wasn't really sure how Goku did it; to go from one world to the other with ease. However, he figured that Goku was still having as much difficulty as he was when Sanzo crossed the boarder.

He wondered where that abstract thought had come from a second before Goku's scream ripped through the area.

Sanzo didn't hesitate. He began bolting towards the sound, hurling himself over roots and under branches, gritting his teeth as branches tugged at his speeding form. It had been Goku's scream, no doubt about it. Had Seiten Taisei gotten to him? Had something else? Was Goku okay? Sanzo heart thundered in his ears and he couldn't believe how frightened he was until he broke through into a small clearing and stopped.

Seiten Taisei was crumpled on the floor, covered in blood and bruises, and Sanzo felt a twisting in his gut when he realized the creature was dead. He focused, instead, on Goku, who was looking down at his hands. His body was splattered with blood, mostly dry, but it looked like it was all his own. Sanzo quickly stepped over the body of his former ward, and gripped Goku's shoulders. He called the boy's name once, twice, before Goku's golden eyes finally snapped up to him.

Goku's eyes were haunted as they looked up at him. As he shook Sanzo could see the beginnings of tears collecting in his eyes. Goku seemed to calm for a moment, but then he was thrashing and trying to get away from Sanzo's touch.

He heard Gojyo and Hakkai calling out to him, just as Goku yanked himself away by raking claws down Sanzo's arm. The man hissed, and released his grip in his surprise. Goku stumbled back, tripping over a spare root and falling on his rear. When his eyes caught Seiten's form laying absolutely still, his eyes widened again.

Then Goku clutched his head and screamed.

___

**A/N: **I apologize to everyone who's been waiting for me to update this story. I understand that a bunch of apologies won't make it better, but it's the effort that helps.

I know this may sound horribly conceited, but if you really want me to update faster, please leave me reviews. If you're stalking this story and not leaving comments, then please do. It makes me feel like people want to read this, which makes me want to write it more. If you have been leaving reviews, then THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. Your comments mean the world to me, and I'm doing the best to write this.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed, as usual.


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